TD's Adventures in Equestria
by The Terror of Dimensions
Summary: TD, a human from our world, granted the powers of Chaos, has entered Equestria with a sole purpose: to dominate the pony world. However, one pony stands in his way along with her friends; someone who eventually changes his heart and gives him a second chance at a new life... Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. [Contains some crossovers, but main content is MLP.]
1. Prologue

Prologue

If you are reading this, it's possible that Twilight has finally convinced me to record my dealings here in Equestria, both good and bad. Not too surprising, considering that she seems to have ways to make me comply. Cheeky filly! Me and her, we're quite the odd couple, according to some, but we didn't start as friends. Rather, there was a time where we once called each other enemies; she once even called me a monster, and frankly I don't blame her. I guess the best way to explain is to start with my name.

I am called the Terror of Dimensions, or T.D. more commonly. I am a human from the world you humans live in. And in case you're wondering, yes, I'm a Fourth Wall breaker; that's how I am able to tell that you're humans. Or, I assume that you're humans. Though it's quite possible that you're not. Either way, I don't care; humans and nonhumans are just as capable of being good or evil. Anyways, my origins are from Earth, but my powers are not of our world. I have been granted the powers of Chaos by a group of ancient beings who I will simply label as "Guardians of Existence". It seemed to be a good deal, but like most forms of magic it came at price: my being was split into three personalities, personified by my magic. Two of my personalities, good and evil, fight for control of me, while the third (neutrality) acts to compromise between the two. My power is rivaled by none save my God and my brothers, who were also granted power by the same Guardians, though not the same kind of power. In Discord's words, "I can do whatever we want whenever I want". The only difference is that my power is on a much larger scale. Normally, I am a nice guy. I am actually capable of wielding the Elements of Harmony on my own, so that alone should tell you about what kind of person I can be. However, I also have bad sides to me, some that I have yet to correct. Unfortunately for myself and the Equestrians, my intentions were not to be on such a favorable terms with Equestria. I originally came to Equestria with one goal in mind...

To destroy.


	2. Welcome to Pony World - Part One

**My first fan fiction and chapter in a series of stories involving my main OC in Equestria. Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

In a volcano located in the magical world of Equestria, a large group of Dragons could be seen. It was apparently a gathering that they had arranged for some form of entertainment. Dragons flew around in games of chase, dived into pools of lava, or pulled the occasional prank on each other. They honestly acted similar to a large group of teenagers having a good time. On a rock above the group sat a Dragon who was dramatically smaller than the majority of Dragons present. In her hands was a staff of some kind. The dragon's name was Ember, and she was the Queen of the Dragons. Ember may have been small, but she was surprisingly strong and powerful for her size. Dragons often competed in feats of strength against each other to prove their dominance, and Ember had yet to be defeated. Her size gave her the edge on her much larger opponents, allowing her to possess more speed and mobility than other Dragons. It also made her harder to hit, given the fact that she was a smaller target. Today, she wasn't participating in the celebrations that the other dragons were doing. She was lazing on the rock staring into the sky. Nothing much had happened lately and it was making her bored out of her mind. Only when another dragon challenged her did she get a break. But it wasn't enough to cure her of boredom entirely. She needed something more challenging, someone who could match her in a fight.

Suddenly, Ember noticed that the sky had turned dark, but it was still quite early in the day. A bright object was seen falling down to the ground towards the volcano. The other dragons noticed this too and turned to see what was going on. None of them knew what the bright object was, but somehow they knew that they didn't want to stick around and find out. A wave of irrational fear filled their hearts and they all turned and fled the scene. Only Ember remained to watch what would happen. The object hit the ground hard, causing a huge mushroom cloud to appear where it landed. The smoke slowly cleared to reveal a figure that seemed to be made of shadows; even though the sky had cleared up and returned to normal, the figure was enveloped in shadow. It stood to its full height, about twice that of the average pony, as Ember flew down to land in front of it. If was unclear what its species was, for its form constantly shifted and changed as if to mask any features that might give it away. All that could be seen was a pair of red eyes that glowed in the dark of its own form. The figure looked to Ember, and a voice emitted from the shadowy figure that made her skin crawl.

"Greetings, Queen Ember of the Dragons. I must say, you do a marvelous job at leading your kind, my cousin."

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Ember asked. She was feeling wary of this newcomer and didn't feel safe around him. Yes, she had at least established that whatever it was, it was definitely a male. The figure stared at her hard and a pure white smile materialized below his eyes. It was a bit creepy looking when coupled with his eyes.

"No, but we are slightly related by blood. I am part dragon, and thus all dragons are my cousins. Though, I will admit that not all of them are as welcoming as you are. I have need of directions in this world, and I hope that you can tell me where to go."

Ember frowned and held the staff up in a defensive manner. "Even if I can help you, what makes you think that I will be cooperative? I don't know who you are or why you are here, but I'm pretty sure that a creature made of darkness is something to avoid, even if he claims to be related to me. I suggest that you leave now, before I make you!"

To further prove her point, Ember breathed a burst of purple fire in the air just above the figure's head as a warning. The shadow simply sighed and replied, "Such a shame. I was hoping to avoid this, but you leave me no choice, cousin."

Faster than Ember could react, the dark figure lunged forward and pinned her to the ground. Ember was surprised that she could actually feel this creature, but she still managed to struggle enough to release his hold. She then rose quickly to her feet and released another burst of fire at the creature. The creature was hit by the full brunt of the blow, but simply gave Ember a look that meant "Really?". A hand materialized and he lifted it while pointing his arm in her general direction. Ember suddenly clutched her head and dropped the staff, feeling as if something was crushing her skull. A pain shot through her entire body and she let out a scream. The figure let his hand drop and the pain subsided, as Ember collapsed into a heap on the ground, still conscious but unable to move at the moment.

"Pathetic," the creature scoffed, "You're not even worth finishing off. No matter! I have what I wanted. Thanks for your cooperation, cousin. It's time that I paid a certain pony a visit."

An evil, ghastly laugh emitted from the figure and he shrank down into the ground while a wall of flames engulfed him. Ember laid there for some time, curled up and trembling. She hardly noticed when the other Dragons returned to find her lying on the ground in defeat...

* * *

Twilight Sparkle happily trotted down one of the many streets in Ponyville. An excited look was on her face as she headed towards Rarity's boutique. She had received a letter from Princess Celestia saying that she and her friends were invited to a special party in Canterlot. It wasn't the Grand Galloping Gala, but it would be hosted in the same location. Because she wanted everypony to have fun at the party, she had explained that it wasn't necessary to appear in formal attire, though you could appear in such attire if desired. At last, Twilight reached the boutique where all of her friends, save for Spike, were waiting for her. Spike had been left at the Castle of Friendship to attend to some unfinished business Twilight had set aside for him. Normally she wouldn't burden her dragon in such a way, but Spike had insisted that she head over to the boutique while he finished up with what was left. Starlight had also stayed behind, mostly because she wanted to make sure that Spike didn't make a mess of things while they were gone. Twilight finally reached the boutique and trotted inside. The first thing she saw was Rarity working on a purple piece of fabric with her sewing machine. The rest of the girls couldn't be seen, but Twilight guessed that they were most likely in the changing room trying on their own gowns. She trotted over to Rarity and said, "Hi Rarity! How's the gown coming along?"

"Oh, it's already done, darling!" Rarity replied in her British accent, barely looking up from her work, "It's in the changing room with the girls. I think you'll love it! I reused the design for the gown you wore for your birthday party in Canterlot, but this time I gave it a color that may suit you better. I'm sorry to rude, dear, but I must finish this last piece before I can call it a day. Why don't you try on your gown while you wait? The party will be starting in half an hour. I'll be along shortly."

"Ok! Don't take too long!" Twilight answered. She trotted into the changing room, using her magic to open the doors. Inside, she found that the rest of her friends had already tried on their gowns and were trotting over to greet her.

"Twilight!" A chorus of voices exclaimed as the six friends greeted each other with a group hug.

"Welcome back, sugarcube," Applejack responded in a kind Southern voice.

"So, how was your trip to the Crystal Empire with Starlight?"

"Quite interesting, to say the least. You see, when we got there..."

Twilight proceeded to tell the girls about their stay in the Crystal Empire, including the part involving Thorax. The girls were at first surprised when they heard about a Changeling becoming Spike's new friend, but when they learned that he really was reformed and had the situation explained to them in full, they soon calmed down. During this time, Rarity had managed to join them as they prepared for the party, missing out only on the intro to Twilight's story; but as it only had to do with the panic that the Empire had been in when they arrived, she didn't miss anything important.

"Hey! Maybe we can throw him a party whenever he visits Ponyville!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"Ah didn't think that's a good idea, Pinkie Pie," Applejack stated.

"She's right," Twilight explained, "The ponies of the Crystal Empire are still trying to get used to him. Sending him here to Ponyville wouldn't be a wise idea."

"Oh, I hope he doesn't get hurt by anypony!" Fluttershy quietly said.

"As weird as it is to have a Changeling on our side, I have to agree with Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash replied, "He sounds like a nice guy to me! Besides, any friend of Spike's is a friend of mine too."

"Well, I guess it's not the weirdest thing I've heard of," Rarity added, "If Cadence and Shining Armor are okay with it, then I guess I am too."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Stay out!" Rarity shrieked, "We're getting- oh, what's the use of THAT argument? Who is it?"

"Well, that's a first!" a familiar voice said on the other side of the door, "Willingly allowing someone to walk in on you while you're getting dressed? Why the sudden change of attitude, Rarity? Are you that desperate to be alone with me?"

"Discord!" Fluttershy angrily shouted. As if on cue, Discord suddenly appeared at her side.

"What? I was just joking, Fluttershy! Surely you of all ponies could tell that it was obvious."

"Nevertheless, that was still uncalled for, Mister!"

"It's alright Fluttershy," Rarity intervened, "And while I am flattered that you'd even think about that Discord, I don't feel that way about you."

"What do you want Discord?" Twilight asked, trying to get straight to the point. Discord put a mock face of hurt on.

"What? I can't just drop by and say hello to my friends? I know that you still are getting used to me Twilight Spartle-"

"Sparkle."

"-but you don't have to be so rude about it! It hurts me like a pie to the face!" Right when he finished saying that, a pie came out of nowhere and splattered in his face, before he made it disappear.

"Pies to the face don't hurt," Pinkie stated, "but they are admittedly surprising. And delicious!"

"Yeah, yeah! Blah blah blah! Anyways, I actually came here to tell you something very important." Discord suddenly looked at the six ponies in the room, a look of pure seriousness on his face. Never had they seen him seem so serious about anything before. It kinda scared them.

"I just sensed a great disturbance in Equestria, far more threatening than the time when Tirek was loose. Whatever it is, it has not arrived in Equestria with good intentions. Girls, this thing is beyond me. It's beyond anything you've ever had to face before. Even Celestia herself couldn't possibly counter it alone."

Twilight and the girls were silent for a moment. Something like that sounded serious. If it was a for beyond anything that they had faced before, what chance did they stand against it? Such a threat could not be allowed to go unnoticed.

"What should we do, Twilight?" the girls asked.

"I'm not sure, but we need to tell the Princesses about this. Discord, could you send a message to Spike and Starlight? Tell them to write a letter to Princess Celestia asking her to meet us in Canterlot with the other Princesses."

"One second," Discord requested, snapping his fingers. A scroll and a quill pen appeared in front of him, and he wrote something on it, then used his magic to send it off to the Castle of Friendship.

"Thank you. Girls, pack your things. We've got a meeting to attend."

* * *

The shadowy creature flew high above Equestria, scanning the area for something, anything that may catch his eye. A gust of wind blew into him, causing his form to almost get blown away by the wind.

"Curse this stupid form! Why didn't I use something more subtle? But what would I use?"

The creature peered down to see Ponyville below him. Ponies were going about their daily lives, not noticing the dark figure hundreds of feet above them. He peered around to try and locate his target, but all he saw were ponies everywhere.

"Wait...Ponies...that's it!"

Chuckling in an evil way, the creature flew down into a secluded part of the Everfree Forest and began to change...

* * *

"This IS serious, Twilight."

Princess Celestia addressed her former pupil in a grave tone. They were in the throne room, the only place where they could speak privately at the moment. Princess Luna and Cadence were beside her, as well as Shining Armor who had insisted on accompanying Cadence. Flurry Heart had wisely been left behind in the Crystal Empire, under the care of a suitable foalsitter. The Mane Six had requested a private meeting with the Princesses as soon as they had arrived in Canterlot, and explained everything that Discord had told them. When they were finished, Celestia gravely nodded her head.

"It seems that whoever or whatever has caused this disturbance is greater in power than anything that has ever faced Equestria, but I do know this; this disturbance is not caused by something native to Equestria. This comes from something beyond our world."

"So what can we do?"

"I'm afraid that remains yet to be seen, my little ponies," Luna replied, "However, we won't simply stand around and allow this to go unnoticed."

"For now, I suggest that you go to the party as planned, but be on your guard at all times. I'll be sending Discord and Shining Armor to help. Shining will be bringing the Royal Guard to help as well. Do not tell anyone outside this room about this. It won't bode well if the ponies are frightened by something that we aren't sure of yet. You are dismissed."

The Mane Six nodded gravely (even Pinkie Pie was uncharacteristically solemn) and slowly left the throne room. Shining Armor followed after them to brief the guards on their mission. When they had all left, Cadence asked, "What are going to do Auntie?"

"I honestly don't know, Cadence. Never have we had to deal with such a threat, not since the Storm King."

"We must try, sister!" Luna stated, "We cannot leave our subjects in their time of need!"

"You're right about that, and that's not what concerns me."

"Then what is thy concern, sister?"

"What if we have met our match?"

* * *

 **Welp! There we go! My first chapter is done. But, as it says in the chapter title, this is only part one. Stay tuned for part two, boys and girls! Be warned, in the future things might get a bit...suggestive for kids of certain ages. I rated this T to be safe, after all.**


	3. Welcome to Pony World - Part Two

**Here we go! Part Two coming right up for all those who wish to see it!**

* * *

Starlight paced nervously back and forth in front of the doors to the Castle of Friendship. Spike had just received a message from Twilight delivered by Discord himself. They had been briefed in the letter about the possible threat and were told to message her as soon as they noticed anything out of the ordinary, particularly from anyone new in Ponyville. Spike had apparently misinterpreted something in the message, because he had tried to do a mass interrogation of many of the citizens of Ponyville. Thankfully, Starlight was able to stop him and explain the situation fully to him before he even left the building. Spike agreed that it was a stupid idea, but he was still disappointed that he couldn't do an interrogation of some kind.

"Why would you even want to interrogate somepony?"

"I've always wanted to do something like that! I think it's kinda cool. Besides, I didn't have anything that would actually hurt them, unless you count a barrage of cupcakes."

"Spike, this is serious! We can't just interrogate anypony that we think is suspicious. We have to be more subtle. Besides, if we interrogate the wrong pony, the real culprit will be onto us and he will be extra cautious next time."

"Eh, I guess you're right. Cupcakes aren't really good for interrogations anyway, unless you're interrogating Pinkie Pie."

"Exactly. Now, why don't you see if there's anything you can find in the library that might help us on this hunt?"

Spike ran off towards the library to fetch any books that could help them out with their work. Almost immediately after he was gone, however, there was a knock at the Castle doors. Starlight opened the door to see who it was. In front of the door was a pony she had never seen before. It was a unicorn stallion with a pair of saddlebags across his back. He seemed to be around 18 years old in pony years. He was blood-red in color, with a darker shade of red for his mane and tail. His tail was curled up in an odd fashion, but it seemed to suit him. His horn poked out from his mane and seemed to be rather sharp at the point. His eyes were covered by a pair of dark sunglasses that made it impossible to see his eyes behind them. But what caught Starlight's eye was the Cutie Mark on his flank. It showed off a dragon breathing fire at an open scroll. The scroll had a quill against it, writing down something that was too small to be distinguished by any normal eyes. The unicorn looked up at Starlight and asked politely, "Excuse me, but is Princess Twilight here? I'd like to speak with her please."

"I'm sorry, but Princess Twilight and her friends are not here right now."

"Oh...Well, I guess I can still get the other thing that I came here for. Do you have any books about dragons?"

Starlight was confused as to why he'd want something like that, but she associated it with his Cutie Mark. "Um, I think we have one or two books on dragons in the library. Come on in! I'll show you to the library."

The unicorn obliged and followed her to the library. During their walk to the library, Starlight politely said, "I'm Starlight, by the way, Twilight's personal student. What's your name?"

"Well, nice to meet you Starlight! They call me TD. Don't bother asking what that stands for, please. I prefer to give that away in my due time. I hope you understand."

"Oh! Of course! I won't pester you about it." By now, the two had made it to the library. Spike was pulling a book down from one of the top shelves on a step ladder, but TD didn't seem to notice him yet. Starlight pulled out an old-looking book from one of the bottom shelves and handed it to him. "Here you go! If I may ask, why do you want such a book? Does it have anything to do with your Cutie Mark?"

"Well, yes and no. You see, I got this Cutie Mark from studying the dragons here in Equestria and beyond."

"Wait, you study dragons?"

"Yep! I'm fascinated by them! I've taken to studying them up close to see how they go about their daily lives. Though, I'll admit, it can be quite hazardous at times. There's the occasional time where the dragons will try to attack me while I study them. Luckily for me, I know some tricks to keep them at bay or at least know that I'm not to be messed with. The book is simply because I want to see if there's anything that I missed in my studies or something that my studies contradict in the book."

"I see. Well, how has your research been going so far?"

"I've hit a bit of a roadblock, truth be told. I have to find a baby dragon to study. Apparently the dragons here aren't too big on having kids."

Just then, there was a cry of surprise from above and Spike fell from his step ladder along with a few books. Starlight managed to catch all of them in time, and set Spike down safely while placing the books on the shelf again. TD looked in Spike's direction and seemed to get very excited. Before Spike could ask who he was, TD rushed over to him in a flash.

"OMG.O.S.H! A real live baby dragon! I'm so glad I came here now! What's your name? Do you get fed well? Who's your master? Am I being too pushy or something?"

"Uh..." TD noticed Spike's confused face and calmed down a bit.

"Oh, sorry! The name's TD. I'm a dragon researcher and you are the first baby dragon that I've ever seen in Equestria. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Oh, uh sure!"

TD asked Spike all kinds of questions, including how he was hatched. He seemed interested to find out that Twilight was responsible for hatching his egg. Starlight simply looked on with amusement at the two of them. Even if she couldn't see his eyes, she could tell that TD found this information helpful. Eventually, TD stood up and said, "Well, thanks for your time! I'd best be off then! You wouldn't happen to know where Twilight is now, would you?"

"Well, actually-"

But before she could finish, TD's sunglasses fell off his face and he muttered a curse as he quickly bent his head downwards to pick them up again. He managed to do so without revealing his eyes, but when his glasses fell off, Starlight and Spike felt something in the air. It felt like the air had suddenly given off a sense of hostility. Feeling that something was off, Starlight used a spell and bit back her shock. The hostility was coming from TD! Managing to keep her composure, Starlight looked up at TD when he finished putting his sunglasses on.

"Ahem! So, do you have a place to stay here in Ponyville?"

"No, I don't. And you are deliberately avoiding my question."

"What question?"

"You're a terrible liar, Starlight Glimmer. I know that you are trying to stall me."

TD's voice no longer sounded pleasant, but serious. He smirked at her and she felt that he had figured out what she was up to. Trying to pull it back, Starlight put on what she felt was an innocent tone of voice, "Stalling? No! Not at all! I just want to send Twilight a message saying that someone new is in town. She loves newcomers, so it'd be a perfect opportunity to meet you! Spike!"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you send a letter to Twilight, telling her about the newcomer here in Ponyville?"

Spike was not the best at secret codes, especially subtle ones, but he understood what Starlight was trying to tell him. "Oh, sure! Just let me go and fetch some parchment."

"You're not telling anyone, pesto," TD said calmly, yet menacingly.

"Oh yeah? Who's going to stop me?" Spike asked. Just when he said that, he bumped against something hard. Rubbing his head, he looked up to see that he was standing in front of one of the open doors to the library. Then what had he bumped into. As if in answer, TD replied, "How about the invisible barrier that I placed in front of the door so you can't leave?" He was standing in front of the other exit, blocking their escape. He smiled evily and removed his sunglasses. Instead of pony eyes, the two friends saw dragon eyes similar to Spike's, but yellow-orange in color. They seemed to glow in the shadow of the doorway and seemed to reflect hatred, malice and evil in general. TD laughed and his body started to transform into the same shadowy figure that had attacked Ember. Starlight quickly ran to Spike's side and placed up a forcefield as darkness crept from TD's form and engulfed the entire room in clouds of darkness. All the while, TD's eyes could be seen through the low lighting of the room. He laughed and said in a ghastly voice, "I never did tell you what my name stood for, did I? Well, I guess now's as good a time as any!"

"Who are you?! What do you want?"

TD laughed again and his eyes disappeared in the dark. He spoke again, but this time his voice seemed to be coming from every direction at once through the darkness that surrounded them. His voice had also changed into three voices speaking at once. One voice remained the dark, ghastly evil voice from the shadowy figure, one sounded like he had sounded normally, and the third sounded happy and cheerful, like someone who had just heard a good joke. The third voice occasionally laughed cheerfully from time to time in between dialogue.

"I go by many names, and under many names and many forms I have traveled. And through space and time amongst the villains, I am 'He Who Walks Unopposed'. I am _The Master of Fire_ , _Lord of Chaos,_ and _Chief of the Tik Tak Tribe_! I'm the _Time Lord of Evil,_ the _Brother of the Flood, The Cousin of Dragons,_ and _The Employer of Villains_!"

TD suddenly appeared in front of Starlight's forcefield in the form of a little colt, then into a strange ghost-like creature that was blood red in color. His voice changed to suit each form respectively.

"I can be your best friend, *transforms*, or your worst nightmare!" TD's image turned into a form similar to Chrysalis's Changelings, but red in color with orange eyes and yellow wings. He spread his wings and called out, "I am the Terror of Dimensions! Face me, and know what true magic is!"

TD laughed menacingly again and stared at Starlight in anticipation. Starlight was scared, but still mustered up some courage to say, "So you're the one causing the disturbances Discord felt!"

"Guilty as charged!" TD said, as a judge's hammer appeared in front of him and slammed down on an invisible table. "I'm actually surprised that he noticed! But then again, he is a Spirit of Chaos. I'm terribly sorry, but I can't allow you to warn Twilight...yet. I'll be revealing myself to all of Equestria in due time!"

TD suddenly launched a burst of magic at Starlight's forcefield, shattering it in a single blow. Starlight was surprised. No one had ever managed to break her forcefield before, not even Twilight. She could feel the powers of Chaos radiating from him and they were beyond her own skill. His magic level made Discord's magic seem like play. She knew that she didn't stand much of a chance against TD, but she had to try. At least she could keep him busy enough to allow Spike to escape. Starlight stood her ground and let loose a few magic bursts of her own. TD, still in his Changeling form, dodged each of her attacks with ease. He then placed up a shield in front of him as Starlight unleashed her most devastating attack. The magic struck the shield, but didn't even make it crack. TD seemed quite amused by this attack, and simply chuckled.

"Starlight Glimmer, you disappoint me. Twilight holds you in such high esteem. Surely you can do better!"

In answer, Starlight lowered her head and charged at TD. Seeing this, TD also charged. At the last second, TD shouted, "Psyche!" and teleported. Starlight stopped herself and turned around to face him. But before she could, a pain suddenly erupted through her entire body and she fell to the ground. TD's form had changed back into the shadowy figure. He lifted his hand and Starlight was lifted into the air by an unseen force. TD looked around, noticing that Spike was gone. Leaving through the only door Spike could've gone through, he saw Spike making a mad dash to the doors of the Castle. TD lifted a hand as if trying to catch him and called out in an impossibly loud voice, "STOP!" Thunder was heard as soon as he said that and Spike stopped dead in his tracks, a look of pure confusion mixed with terror on his face.

"Spike, what are you doing?! Run!"

"I-I can't! I can't move! It's like something is holding me back!"

"Command Spell," TD stated matter-of-factly, "Suitable for such situations." During this time, he had managed to close the distance between himself and Spike. He then used his magic to pin Starlight and Spike to a wall. The two struggled, but in vain. TD looked them in the eye and said in a threatening voice, "Where. Is. Princess Twilight?"

Spike hollered, "Never! We'll never tell you! You can't make us tell-"

"Actually, I can. And you **will** tell me where she is! Talk!"

A whip of fire appeared in his hand and he struck both of them at once. The two flinched under the whip's strike, but stayed strong. TD walked away from them, his image turned into Sid from _Toy Story_.

"I can see you are with the strong," he said. He opened the blinds to a window that appeared out of nowhere and sunlight poured in. TD/Sid was big enough for Spike to look like a toy in size comparison. He pulled out a magnifying glass and held it up. Spike, meanwhile, had been placed on the floor by the unseen force.

"Well, we have ways of making you talk."

TD/Sid held the magnifying glass up until the reflected light made a small circle appear on Spike's forehead. Spike tried to move, but he was still immobilized by the unseen force. TD held the light in place for a short while, and suddenly a small stream of smoke appeared on Spike's head, coupled with the sound of something slowly burning. Spike suddenly screamed, and his entire body squirmed around in pain. Starlight, horrified with what she saw, had the sickening feeling that TD was truthfully doing more than burning his forehead. TD/Sid held the magnifying glass to his face and said in an evil fashion, "Where are your rebel friends now? Heh heh heh!"

"Stop it! You're hurting him!"

"That's the plan!" TD returned to normal size and changed his form back to his unicorn form while placing Spike back on the wall. "Now tell me, WHERE IS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!?"

"I-I'll never tell you! I'd rather die!"

"THAT CAN BE ARRANGED!" TD shrieked, his voice booming and filling her with dread. "However, I can't kill you yet. It's not time for you to die. But the more you refuse, the more pain he endures!" TD laughed and blasted Spike with a burst of red lightning from his horn. Spike was already in pain, so this didn't do him any favors. He screamed in an unearthly voice, so loudly that Starlight's will finally broke, though at the same time she wondered how nopony had noticed that.

"Mute Spell," TD answered, as if reading her thoughts, "No one can hear you outside this Castle. Now, are you going to tell me or shall the torture continue? Going once! Going twice! Going...going...!"

"Stop! I-I yield. I'll tell you..." she sobbed the last words out.

TD smiled wickedly and Spike finally stopped screaming, though he seemed to have passed out. TD sat down and patiently listened as Starlight told him everything he wanted to know, between her sobs. She had no choice. No one could save them, nor did anyone realize that they were in danger. TD chuckled inwardly.

Everything was going smoothly for him...

* * *

 **Pretty dark at the end, isn't it? Don't worry! TD technically gets defeated in Part Three, but his dealings in Equestria are far from over. Until next time!**


	4. Welcome to Pony World - Part Three

**At last! Part Three! Before I start this, however, I'd like to say a few things. First, my rating is a T mainly because I wasn't sure of what kind of content I'd put in this. Second, please keep in mind that I'm fairly new to all this, so if I make any mistakes, please forgive me. I'll try to keep them to a minimum, but no one's perfect. Finally, if any of you feel that my character is even slightly similar to Discord, I'd like to be clear that I'm not trying to copy him! My character was already like that before I even KNEW that Discord existed.**

 **Forgot to do this in other chapters: I don't own My Little Pony. It belongs to Hasbro. Other than that, plz enjoy!**

* * *

Twilight was feeling nervous. Which was natural, considering what they had been told about a disturbance caused by something beyond anything that she and the girls had ever faced before. But it didn't help that she was supposed to participate in the party activities as if nothing was amiss. Twilight took some slow steady breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. She really didn't do well in stressful situations. A thousand different outcomes were going through her head as she wondered what was going to happen in the next few hours. At least my friends are more subtle than I am, she thought to herself. It was true. The rest of the Mane Six were having a blast (in Pinkie Pie's case, it was sometimes literal). Rainbow Dash was chatting with some of the Wonderbolts, seemingly undeterred by whatever stress she may have been feeling; Applejack was trying out some of the treats at the punch table; Fluttershy was giving a married couple some advice on how to take care of their pet canary; Rarity was chatting with Fancy Pants and a few other Canterlot ponies, most likely about fashion and the like; and Pinkie Pie was...well, Pinkie Pie. She never stayed in one place for too long, even to eat. But considering that she was in a similar manner all the time, it wasn't too surprising. Twilight took in a deep breath and relaxed a bit. It was going to be alright. Her friends were enjoying themselves, even if they were simultaneously keeping a watchful eye for anything suspicious. Why shouldn't she enjoy herself while she still could? Besides, Discord had everything under control outside, and who could be a better suspicion detector than the Spirit of Chaos?

* * *

Discord sat upon a cotton candy cloud above the Gala room, scanning for any sign of suspicious activity, but also using his chaotic powers to sense any disturbances not caused by himself. So far, nothing had happened yet, and that's what worried him. Where was this mysterious intruder and why had he not detected anything yet? Suddenly, Discord got the suspicious feeling that he was being watched. Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with a blood-red unicorn floating just above the cloud. He was using some kind of levitation spell to stay level with the draconequus.

"I was wondering when you'd notice. That's one of my favorite gags to play at school in my world. Just stand behind someone and see how long it takes for him or her to notice. You'd be surprised how many people are oblivious to your presence at times."

"Well this is quite an interesting sight," Discord stated, "A human with incredible powers here in Equestria! What will happen next?"

"How about you leaving? Sorry mate! You're my favorite character on the show along with Pinkie Pie, but I can't have you getting in the way."

"Ha ha ha! No," Discord said, his expression turning dead serious.

"Sorry, but you don't get a say in the matter. Quick question: which does two plus two equal? Fore!"

Discord's eyes widened in surprise as a golf club appeared in the unicorn's hooves and he was smacked in the face with it. As soon as it hit, he was sent flying into the sky, far away from Canterlot. The unicorn smiled and teleported away.

* * *

"Girls, have any of you seen Discord?" Fluttershy asked.

"Come to think of it, no. I haven't seen him for about an hour at least." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Oh! What if he has been abducted by the terrible person that's come here?"

"It's okay Fluttershy," Twilight said gently, "Discord is a tough cookie. He'll make it."

"Sir, please stand aside!" a guard was heard saying. Turning to look, the girls saw a blood-red unicorn with sunglasses at the entrance. He was trying to get past the guards.

"Please! I've got to see the Princess! It's important!"

"I'm sorry sir, but you're not on the list!"

"Are you sure?" the unicorn asked mysteriously. A glow came from his horn and the guards suddenly straightened and said, "Apologies, sir. We didn't realize it was you! Please, go right in!"

The unicorn smiled and walked past them and towards the center of the dance floor. He turned towards the Mane Six, who had walked up to him to confront him.

"Sorry about that! It was supposed to be subtle, but I needed to see you one way or another."

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"I'll answer your questions and more, but first where are the other Princesses? I'd prefer that they know too."

"Twilight!" a voice called out from behind. "Speak of the devil," the unicorn muttered as Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor rushed up to her with a large crowd of Royal Guards. Celestia spoke again, "Twilight! I just received a letter from Starlight Glimmer and Spike. The creature just attacked them and locked them in the Castle. He's on his way here!"

Suddenly, the unicorn began to laugh as if he had seen or heard something hilarious. He laughed so hard that he ended up attracting the attention of everyone in the party. Finally, the unicorn managed to compose himself and smiled wickedly.

"Funny you should say that," TD said, "Because I'm already here!"

TD removed his sunglasses and revealed his evil draconic eyes. The Gala room was suddenly darkened and the exits were sealed off by magical barriers. Ponies ran screaming towards the exits. Surprisingly, they were able to leave through the exits, but they weren't allowed to get back in. Likewise, more guards were allowed to enter, but none were allowed to escape. Apparently, TD wanted to be uninterrupted by the civilians during this fight. TD continued to laugh some more as his image changed into something different from what they had seen before: an eighteen year old boy with blue eyes and brown hair. He had a reddish brown "Amish" beard, white skin, and a mischievous look about him. When Twilight saw his form, she was taken aback.

"You're a human?"

"Correct, my dear Miss Sparkle. I'm from the same place you visited to take on Sunset Shimmer, though not necessarily the same area. It's called Earth, and it's my home. As for who I am..."

TD proceeded to give them a similar performance to what he had given Starlight and Spike earlier, resorting back to his human form at the end.

"...I am the Terror of Dimensions! Face me, and know what true magic is!"

"The Terror of Dimensions, is it?" Celestia asked.

"Please, call me TD. It's more convenient for both of us."

"And what brings you here to Equestria?" Celestia's tone sounded calm, yet stern. She knew what he had come for and was ready to fight to the death to prevent him from getting his prize.

"What the author said," TD stated, acknowledging the fact that he could break the Fourth Wall. "For those that don't know, however, I have come to claim this world for myself. You can either stand down peacefully, or we can settle this the old fashioned way. Take your pick!"

"I won't stand down! Thanks to you foolishly revealing yourself, I can protect my kingdom and my subjects from you openly!"

"Oh, so it your barriers that tried to keep me from entering this world? Clever, but not enough to keep me out."

"Stand down, TD!" Shining Armor shouted, "You're surrounded and outnumbered!"

"I can see that, or do you think I'm blind to the wall of spears and horns on every side of me! Besides, numbers don't always win the battle, Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire, Husband to Princess Cadence, and father to the first naturally born Alicorn. Congratulations, by the way!"

"That's - how? There's no way you could've-"

"I did my research. Now, I give you one last chance: surrender or die!"

In answer, Shining Armor and his guards charged TD simultaneously. TD simply closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them. When he did, a shockwave of energy erupted from his body and sent all of them flying before landing on the ground unconscious. Shining had managed to remain conscious, but he was obviously hurt real bad. Celestia and Luna then tried to use their own magic on TD, but he easily stepped aside.

"You really need to work on your aim! I've seen Stormtroopers with better accuracy!"

Unfortunately for TD, his insult distracted him long enough for Twilight to land a blow on him. He ended up flying into a wall as a result. Chuckling, TD rose from the rubble created and said, "Nice! I underestimated your potential, Twilight. Why haven't you gotten yourself another teacher? If you served me, I could teach you magic that will make Celestia's magic look like child's play!"

"And what? Betray my friends and mentor? Not a chance! I've read enough books to know where this is going. Looks like you're just another cliche villain in the end!"

"Cliche villain, am I? Well, let's see what you do when the villain makes a PLOT TWIST!"

Dark tentacle-like streams of magic erupted from the floor below them and ensnared all but Cadence, who somehow managed to break free with her own magic. Everyone else was stuck and couldn't break free. Cadence fired a burst of magic at TD while he did the same. The two's magic collided with each other and a power struggle ensued. Cadence started gaining ground quickly in the power struggle, while TD started to lose ground.

"Gah! What is this?! I can't fight it! Wait, that's why! You're using the power of Love, aren't you? Not what I expected, but I can cope with it!"

TD started to push forward and gained ground towards Cadence, who continued her magic burst. She noticed that TD was no longer fighting her love, but embracing it by absorbing it into himself. All he needed to do now was get close to her. TD finally got within arm's reach and started grabbing for Cadence's horn. Suddenly, a bowl of rage was heard from Twilight and a massive burst of energy separated the two from each other. Cadence took this time to catch her breath while TD turned towards Twilight. She had somehow blasted through her bonds and the bonds of everyone else. And TD could see why: around each of her eyes was a smokey stream of darkness, and her eyes had turned green. All around her, her friends looked at her with horror and surprise. TD laughed as the streams disappeared from her eyes.

"Well, guess that's one way to get you to use dark magic."

But he didn't have much time to celebrate, as Celestia and Luna both flew into the sky above him. They each fired a beam of magic at him from two different angles. TD used his hands to blast streams of red lightning at both of them, and all watched in shock as the lightning quickly pushed back their magic and shocked them into unconsciousness. TD laughed evily as pillars of red fire appeared along the walls and near the exits. The Mane Six gathered together and powered up into the same forms they had taken on when they had faced Tirek. An aura of power enveloped them and they levitated into the air. TD didn't look surprised.

"Oh! An actual challenge! Alright then, girls! Bring it on!"

The Mane Six fired a large beam of magic from the aura of magic around them while TD fired a similarly large beam of darkness at them. The two beams connected and the power struggle began. Neither side gained any ground at first, but eventually after what seemed an eternity, TD started to gain the upper hand. He seemed to be struggling, however, and red tendrils of lightning were creeping up his arms. Things looked bleak for the Mane Six. Just when all seemed lost, a scream was heard. TD and the others who were still conscious turned to look in the direction of the scream. What they saw was not good. During the fight, the entire room had been practically reduced to rubble, but enough remained so that it was still a hazard for anyone inside. Huddled under some debris was a little filly and her mother. They were trapped under two pieces of wall that had wedged themselves into a sort of shelter. The shelter protected them from the majority of the debris, but it was clear that it wouldn't be long before their shelter collapsed on top of them.

Then, something unexpected happened. TD gave a gasp of surprise and lifted one of his hands towards the two ponies. The rubble floated in the sky high enough for them to escape. "Go!" he yelled, and the two scampered off. TD then turned back to the Mane Six. By doing that act of kindness, he had lost his advantage and the Mane Six started to gain ground. Before the energy engulfed him completely, TD let out a defiant scream. The energy engulfed him entirely and a colorful explosion erupted from the Gala.

* * *

When TD woke up, he found himself inside a large sphere of magic. Outside the sphere stood the Mane Six and the Princesses, along with Discord, Starlight, and Spike. They were inside a room made of solid stone, too smoothly cut out to have been made by hand or machine. TD correctly guessed that the room must've been made quite recently and that they were somewhere deep underground. TD smirked and said, "Well, you got me. What are you waiting for? Finish me off!"

"We're not going to kill you, TD," Celestia answered, "But we will detain you until we have decided what to do with you. Your crimes against Equestria are not going to go unanswered."

"Well, that's a relief. I hope you realize that that act of kindness that I did is the only reason you won. Had I not decided to save them, you would've lost."

"In that case, why? Why did you do it?"

"Because even as the villain, I have moral codes that I follow. I'm a villain in my own ways, and I'm a hero in my own ways."

"You speak as if you are a hero TD," Cadence piped up, "yet you seem like a villain to me."

"That's 'cause you're talking to my evil personality. I have three; good, evil, and neutral. You'd like the good personality. Actually, you may have a chance to meet him yet."

"I find that hard to believe," Twilight stated. TD looked charmingly at her, as if trying to flirt with her.

"And why's that?"

"You've been defeated in battle, your plans thwarted, and your dreams of taking this land shattered. You have lost."

"Oh no, Princess Twilight," TD said mysteriously, his voice splitting into the three separate voices speaking in harmony with each other. "Today was the warm up. The real battle has just begun."

TD began to laugh hysterically, his laughter emitting through the entire room and beyond, each voice laughing in a different tone respective to their tone. His laughter still haunted them as they left the room.

"Soon, very soon," He said to himself. Soon, none would stand in his way. This world would fall like so many that opposed him, and all of existence would know the name of the Terror of Dimensions...and despair.

Soon...

* * *

 **Whew! It took me longer than I expected (and doing this all on a tablet didn't help much), but I finally did it! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. More chapters coming in the future!**

 **Before I go, I'd like to thank _DisneyFanatic2364_ for getting me hooked onto fan fiction in the first place with her "Bride of Discord" series and the sequels, both on this site and on YouTube under the same username. If you haven't checked out her content, I highly recommend you do so. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed! I'd also like to thank _impressionsguy_ for his support and friendly conversations with me on this site. Thanks Chuck and gang! You guys are great!**

 **I may try to add in some content from other fan fictions that I've bumped into here and there on the site. One particular thing I was thinking on doing is adding in one or two other fan fiction characters from someone else's stories and place them in my fan fiction. Of course, I may try doing that later when I get further into the series and I'll have to get their permission too, but otherwise I'm good. For now, you can give me suggestions on who to pick, whether it's your own character(s) or someone else's character(s).**

 **My conditions: they must come with a general description of their appearance, the role they play in Equestria, and their kind of personality. Also, I WILL NOT accept any OC's who are in a relationship with Twilight for various reasons. Other than that, you got it!**

 **Thanks again! Sorry for the long note at the end! I'll see y'all in the next chapter! TTFN! Ta ta for now!**


	5. Questions, Answers, and a Challenge

**I did say that this would be a series, so here's another chapter. BTW, don't bother asking me how long these things will be, because I honestly don't know nor can I guarantee any specific publication dates for every chapter. Other than that, please enjoy!**

* * *

The Terror of Dimensions, otherwise known as TD, relaxed within his magical prison, created for him by the combined magic of Discord and the four Equestrian Princesses. His defeat the other day had only confirmed that which he already had guessed: in an all-out war against Equestria, he would always win. Next time, he would have to make sure that there were no distractions like last time. TD sighed heavily, but not in despair. Sure, even his evil personality followed the rule of saving innocents, but it could be really inconvenient at times. It wouldn't matter now, for he would soon be free. TD placed his hand against the edge of the barrier that encased him. He could feel the magic that made up his little prison. Celestia's magic of light, Luna's darker magic, Cadence's love, Twilight's forcefield, and Discord's chaos. Under normal circumstances, this barrier would be impossible to break through. But TD had plenty of experience escaping from such prisons before, thanks to his brother. Usually, all it took was finding the weakness or mistake made in the prison. Depending on the individual depended on what he or she saw as a weakness.

TD smiled. Chaos Magic was fused within the rest of the magic that made up his prison. Their first mistake...

* * *

Twilight really hated TD. Sure, she had only just met him and that was on a bad note already, and he had been defeated. It didn't help that he had threatened them with a war that had "just begun" or how confident he had been the entire time he had faced them.

But he hit the last straw when he invaded her dreams that night.

The dream had started out rather nice. Her friends were throwing her yet another superb birthday party. Everyone in Ponyville was invited and festivities were at an all-out high. Suddenly, in the dream, TD had appeared and it all went downhill from there. The scene shifted to show all of her friends in a heap at his feet - dead or unconscious? She couldn't tell - and all of Ponyville was in flames. What few survivors she could see had been turned into slaves, shackled by chains to a large statue of TD that they lifted up in the town square. The Castle of Friendship had been replaced with a volcano-themed fortress and evil creatures that were unknown to her poured out of hundreds of fissures in the ground, cackling and cheering as they waved their cruel weapons in triumph. Twilight was thankful when Luna appeared to dispel the dream. However, the nightmare would not go away. Luna was shocked, but Twilight started hyperventilating. Luna tried calming her down, but to no avail. She was almost relieved when an unpleasantly familiar voice broke the silence.

"Oh quit overreacting Twilight! It's just a dream! I personally thought that it was obvious. Well, actually it's more of a vision than a dream. A taste of what I will cause should I win."

As much as Luna didn't like seeing TD, she was at least thankful that it snapped Twilight out of her unstable state.

"TD!" the Princesses angrily exclaimed, "How are you here?"

"I'm not! I'm still in my prison...for now! It's a a little trick I learned to jump into other dreams and alter them. Though, I'll admit, it's not easy. I skipped over this dream at least five times. Almost landed in Pinkie Pie's dream on my way here. *shudder* The things she dreams about..."

"Enough!" Luna announced in her Royal voice, "What is it thou desires by coming here?"

"Are you speaking like that because it's formal, or are you doing it to annoy me?"

"I do-ith it to annoy-ith thee."

"Suit yourself! I'm easy," TD said, his voice and appearance temporarily changing into Igor from _Young Frankenstein_ before returning to normal. "The way I see it, we both want something. You want answers about myself, I want out of my prison. We can't both get what we want, so I'm content with the one for the time being. Come to my prison tomorrow, bring whoever or whatever you wish, and we'll chat for a bit. You have twenty-four hours to make up your mind."

"And what exactly happens after twenty-four hours?" Twilight asked.

TD simply smiled and said, "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." He then walked away, slowly turning more and more transparent, until he had disappeared entirely.

* * *

"Alright then. Who are you? What are you? Why did you come here to Equestria? What is the power you use?"

"Slow down, pretty lady! I'm not as sharp as I was when I was sixteen."

Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and Starlight Glimmer had all shown up at TD's prison to ask him the questions that he had said he would answer. The prison was located deep underground in a secluded area within the Everfree Forest. Celestia was pacing back and forth in front of the magical sphere that housed TD within, asking him what they wanted answers to.

"Let me see..." TD pulled out a copy of the story that you're currently reading and re-read Celestia's questions. He then made it disappear and said, "I am the Terror of Dimensions, a human who was granted the powers of Chaos by a group of ancient beings that I'll simply label as 'Guardians of Existence'. So, I guess that answers three of your questions right away! As for why I came here to Equestria, well I have several reasons. One, to flee from those who would hunt me down and put a stop to my work; two, regain my strength; and three, to conquer this world and therefore gain more power."

"Well, so far two of your three plans have failed if you ask me," Twilight stated.

"Luckily for me, I wasn't asking you." An MLG "Oh!" rang out around them along with a few air horn noises. Noticing their serious expressions, TD lifted his hands and the noises stopped. He then continued.

"And for your information, my plans have not failed yet! This is just a minor setback that will quickly be turned around."

"You mentioned a 'good' personality, TD. Care to explain?"

"Gladly! You see, the powers I chose came at a price. The result was that my being is divided into three different personalities or sides of me; good, evil, and neutral. The good and evil ones fight for control of the body, while the neutral one acts more as the guy that keeps them in check and compromises for them."

"So, which are we talking to now?" Starlight asked.

"Truthfully? A little of everyone. You can guess who's who."

"I find that hard to believe," Twilight said confidently, "Such a thing is logically impossible! You can't be evil and good at the same time!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Twilight Sparkle! Everyone has a dark side to them, yet everybody also has a little light in them too. The question is not whether one has darkness or light in them. The real question is this: which side do you allow to control you? Each and every one of you have a dark side to you. Luna revealed her dark side when she became Nightmare Moon; Starlight's you saw with the town she ruled and her going back in time; Celestia has a dark side of her own, even if she doesn't know it yet; and you Twilight, I believe that I revealed it in our fight last night."

That hit an uncomfortable subject, and Twilight really hated him for it.

"I do not have a Dark side, TD!" she protested.

"You do have a Dark side, dearie, though you have lied to yourself long enough about it to be taken for truth. But why be ashamed of your power? All of you?" TD's image suddenly transformed into shadows and parted at the center, showcasing a video of the group as themselves, but different. They looked darker, more powerful and far more intimidating. The images shown were unfamiliar to them, save for one, but the images shown were as follows: Nightmare Moon, Daybreaker, Midnight Sparkle, and Starlight as seen before her reformed state, but with glowing evil eyes. TD spoke again, the video image showcasing everything his ghastly voice described to them.

"I offer a once-in-a-lifetime deal! Join me, and I can show you magic that none have seen the likes of! Nature will bend to your whims, armies decimated in the blink of an eye, kingdoms subdued within a day! No more restrictions, no more laws! You'd be like gods amongst your people, all-powerful and greater than anything you ever could have! All your subjects shall worship you for your power, and all your enemies will despair at your might! So, what do ya say? Have we got ourselves a deal?"

The answer was almost immediate. Everyone angrily declined the offer. However, they were all surprised (except for TD, who simply raised an eyebrow) when Celestia gave her answer.

"Even if what you said is true, we'd never do something like that to our subjects! You're a tyrant and deserve to rot away in this prison! But that's what you want, isn't it? We have something else in mind. Tomorrow morning, you will be banished from the world of Equestria forever!"

Twilight was slightly intimidated by Celestia's answer. She had never heard her mentor speak with such a tone, even at her brother's wedding. Celestia had a look of grim determination on her face, completely set on settling matters with TD once and for all. However, TD wasn't impressed.

"You can try," TD scoffed, "but I seriously doubt you will succeed. For now, I offer a challenge. Tonight, one or two of you will be tested. You will not survive until you have confronted the darkness within. Beat the test, and the next stage will begin. Fail that test, and your world is doomed immediately!"

Everyone recoiled in shock at these last words as TD laughed wickedly and hysterically, confident that he had won, even while imprisoned.

* * *

"What do ya reckon the test is, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"I'm not sure, but he made it clear that me, Starlight and the Princesses were the targets. We're supposed to be tested tonight."

"Did he say which one of you was going to be tested, darling?"

"He didn't say who would be tested," Starlight replied, "He just said that it could be any of us who were there."

"Ah, don't get overworked over that! He's just a crazy kid in a magic prison!" Rainbow Dash stated.

"Ah hope you're right, sugarcube," Applejack responded, "Otherwise, this may be a long night."

"Hey! You never told me that you bought a new mirror Twilight!" Pinkie Pie's voice rang out from Twilight's bedroom.

"What?! I didn't order a mirror!" Twilight said in alarm. The girls ran to Twilight's bedroom to find Pinkie Pie standing in front of a large mirror. The mirror's surface seemed dark and devoid of a reflection, which made Pinkie Pie think she was a vampire at first. That is, until she realized that only Twilight and Starlight had reflections in the mirror. Twilight cautiously approached the mirror and stared hard at it. Even though she was expecting something bad to happen, she was still surprised when a group of tentacle-like streams of darkness erupted from the surface and ensnared her. Her friends gasped in alarm as Twilight attempted to break free from the tentacles as they pulled her into the mirror's surface. Her friends tried to help, but a large mass of tentacles erupted from the mirror and pushed them back. In desperation, Starlight used her magic to make a kind of rope and tried to pull Twilight out of the mirror. Unfortunately, as soon as she did, the mirror pulled them both in with a sudden jerk. The last words the alicorn and her pupil heard from their friends was a chorus of voices crying out.

"Twilight! Starlight!"

* * *

Twilight's head was spinning and the entire area she was in was dark. She originally thought that she was still out, but the sight of Starlight Glimmer standing beside her told her otherwise. As Twilight looked up, she noticed what kind of terrain she was in. On their right, a dark limbo could be seen stretching on for as far as the eye could see. Shards of glass as big as ponies were seen floating in the distance, casting a reflection of the two ponies. However, no matter how long one walked, the glass never got any closer. On their right, the two could see the land of Equestria, but it too never got any closer. Twilight tried first one direction, then another, before she finally gave up. Starlight tried teleporting them out, but any teleportation attempts to a location in Equestria failed. Twilight was about to panic, when a shadowy figure appeared in front of her. It's features couldn't be seen clearly, but it was obviously a pony.

"Who are you?" Twilight asked.

"Who are we?" the figure asked, it's voice matching Twilight's perfectly. A second figure appeared beside it as it spoke. "I thought that you'd know. After all, you've seen your reflections before, haven't you?"

A light shone upon them from an unseen source and illuminated the two figures. When it did, Twilight almost had a heart attack. Standing before them were the evil versions of themselves that TD had shown them earlier with his video player...thingy.

"What!?" Twilight started to freak out. "This can't be happening! This can't be happening!"

"Oh, it's happening alright!" Evil Twilight said with a smile. "You're not really seeing the problem, are you?"

Evil Starlight attempted to attack Twilight, but Starlight managed to stop her in time by placing a forcefield around her. Evil Starlight then turned to her double and attacked her. The two battled it out, evenly matched in power as Starlight took the battle away from her teacher. Evil Twilight looked to her own double and said, "No matter! This was between you and me anyways! I'll show you what happens to those who neglect me!" She then proceeded to attack Twilight relentlessly. Twilight blocked and countered her attacks as quickly as she could, but she seemed to be struggling to hold her own.

Meanwhile, Starlight was busy taking on her own double. She was constantly forced to keep up her blocks or counters, as her double wouldn't let up either. Evil Starlight shouted, "They took everything from us! We were perfectly happy until _They_ showed up! We should take the Cutie Marks of every pony in Equestria, and finally create the perfect harmony that we strived so hard to create!"

"What are you talking about?" Starlight demanded. "You weren't even there, I was! I was a fool to try that!"

"You still won't recognize me!" Evil Starlight shrieked, releasing a large sphere of magic that knocked Starlight down. She collapsed to the ground, her eyes closed as her doppelganger stood over her. "No matter! Once I dispose of you, nopony will ever reject me again!" She raised her head in triumph as she prepared the final blow. It was then that Starlight's eyes opened in realization of what she was facing. She stood up and defiantly faced her doppelganger.

"You're right," she said softly, causing her doppelganger to stop her spell and stare at her in confusion. "We did do that to them, together. We caused so much pain and suffering to Twilight, to the village, to all of them! We were lost and upset, misguided by the hurt we felt in our hearts. But no longer! I am turning over a new leaf in my life. One which I will not allow you to be mentioned in! I let you out for too long in the past, but I will never let you control me ever again!"

The doppelganger stepped back in horror and shock, as Starlight closed her eyes and a smile formed on her face. The doppelganger faded away like dust in the wind, too surprised to speak. Over on the other end of the room, Twilight lay defeated by her own doppelganger. Evil Twilight laughed and said, "What's wrong, Princess? Too scared to admit how strong I am? You only let me out for a brief moment; first in the Crystal Empire, and then when TD attacked! We should've accepted his deal! Learned magic that Celestia could only dream about! But, oh well! I guess I'll have to settle with your death instead!"

"Twilight!" Starlight called to her teacher.

"I- I'm sorry, Starlight. I can't defeat her. This demon is too strong!"

"That's because it's not a demon! You're fighting yourself! She is the darkness within you! You have to accept her presence in order to defeat her!"

"But, I- I'm not evil..."

"No, you're not. But you can't deny that which is a part of you."

It was then that Twilight realized what Starlight was saying, the clue TD had left behind before giving the challenge.

 _"Everyone has a dark side to them, yet everybody also has a little light in them too. The question is not whether one has darkness or light in them. The real question is this: which side do you allow to control you?"_

Twilight's evil self fired a beam of dark magic at Twilight, hoping to end her once and for all. The blow, however, stopped short of her face, as Twilight countered with her own beam and pushed back. A look of determination was on her face.

"I recognize you now," Twilight said calmly, "You are my dark side, the part of me I keep suppressed and locked away, where you cannot harm anypony!" Twilight's beam pushed back her doppelganger's until it was nearly touching her horn. Evil Twilight cried out in defiance, but in vain.

"You are a part of me, but you do not control me. I reject you! You will never be given control! Never!"

The beam connected and Twilight's dark side disintegrated into nothing. Twilight fell back down, breathing hard as Starlight rushed up to her and threw her front hooves around her.

"You did it!"

"Only because you were there to help me," Twilight replied.

A slow clapping sound was heard and the two turned to look behind them. TD was walking towards them, clapping his hands in congratulations. His appearance had changed dramatically from what they had last seen. While it was still a human form, it was divided in half. One half was made of darkness, the other of light, but the expression on his face was pure admiration.

"Well done, Twilight Sparkle! And you too, Starlight Glimmer! You have completed a challenge that few are willing to take, and even fewer survive from. Well done! As promised, the next stage has begun, starting with me getting you put of here."

A portal appeared next to TD with two mini volcanoes acting as archway markers. On the other side of the portal, they could see Twilight's bedroom and her friends like a picture. No one moved, but simply stayed still in the positions that they had last been in when the two had left. Twilight was naturally confused.

"Why?" she asked.

"It's no fun taking someone's world when he or she isn't around to stop you. Besides, I may not actually be here in reality, but I still have some power in such conditions."

"What can I say, other than 'Thanks'?" Starlight replied.

"Don't thank me yet! There's still a war to finish."

"About that," Twilight asked, "How do you plan on starting a war if you're still trapped in that prison?"

"You know how I said that you had twenty-four hours to talk to me? Yeah, I've been free for the past hour or so."

"What!?"

"See ya later, sweetheart! Say hello to Celestia for me! Oh, and I hope you have a good night's sleep! Toodles! In the meantime, I suggest that you prepare for the battle ahead. Until then, try to stay out of my way. Just try!"

TD then got a serious face and his image transformed into the Wicked Witch from _The Wizard of Oz_ (complete with the broomstick). He cackled and quoted an age-old phrase, with a slight adjustment: "I'll get you, my pretty! And your little dragon too!" He then laughed and disappeared in an explosion noise and large cloud of red smoke. As soon as he was gone, the portal sucked them in and the limbo disappeared from sight.

* * *

The first thing that greeted them upon return was Pinkie Pie tackling them both with a big hug, followed by the rest of the Mane Six. Twilight let out a sigh of relief. It was good to be back! After releasing them from the hug, Applejack asked, " What happened in there?"

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash added, "You got pulled in there and were gone for about ten seconds!"

Twilight and Starlight exchanged looks, settling on a silent agreement.

"You do not wanna know!" Twilight stated.

"The mirror!" Rarity gasped, having turned towards it, "It's showing all of our reflections now!"

"Maybe whatever you two did in there broke the curse on it," Fluttershy stated.

Twilight used her magic to sense if any magical traces were left. What Fluttershy said was right. The mirror had returned to normal and the curse was lifted. She smiled in relief, but then suddenly remembered something.

"TD! He escaped from his prison!"

"What?!" everyone but Starlight shouted.

"Uh, that's a bad thing, right?" Applejack asked.

"We should go after him!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"I agree, Rainbow, but not without some sleep," Twilight responded. "I'll send a letter to Princess Celestia first thing in the morning."

"But he's still out there! What if he attacks us in our sleep?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Twilight looked outside her bedroom window. "Something tells me that he's gonna let us off the hook on that one."

* * *

A shadowy figure lurked through the streets of Ponyville, staring up at Twilight's bedroom window. The figure was well out of sight, unless somepony got close to his hiding spot. The figure stepped into the light just enough to reveal himself as TD in his Changeling form. A soft look was seen in his eyes as he looked up at her room.

"Good night, Miss Sparkle," he whispered kindly, "Sweet dreams! Tomorrow signals the start of what comes next."

TD's eyes then returned to an evil expression as he turned and walked off into the shadows...

* * *

 **Ow! My back hurts so much from making that, thanks to sitting in a chair for the past hour or two. Really need to change that sometime. Anyways, next chapter I plan on involving _impressionsguy_** **'s OC, "Chuck". Due to him being a non-combatant (for now), he won't have too large of a role to play in all of this, but enough for him to not be left out too much. Cya next time! All you authors out there, both on this site and beyond, keep up the good work!**


	6. Doctor Hooves and Chuck Join the Party

**Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony, otherwise you would see way too much of this kind of content. MLP belongs to Hasbro. "Chuck" is an OC that belongs to _I_** ** _mpressionsguy_** **. Also, slight crossover here.**

 **Edit: I decided to redo Chuck's section with TD in my earlier chapters, as it was done without _Impressionsguy's_ help. The same will apply to a lot of other chapters similar to it. Also, it doesn't hurt to edit the chapter in general.**

* * *

As the sun set on the town of Ponyville, in a small tavern labeled "Chuck's Tavern", the owner was just closing up shop early. Or early by a tavern's standards. He was an earth pony, red in color with a puffy auburn mane and tail. He had three yellow freckles on each cheek, blue eyes and a black bow tie. His Cutie Mark was a microphone, his talent largely being that of a comedian. His name was Gareth Murphy, but everyone just called him Chuck. For reasons even he didn't fully understand, he had been magically transported to Equestria from Earth. With not much of a choice or a life to return to back home, Chuck had started his life all over again in Equestria. He even managed to fall in love with Pinkie Pie, and the two had been happily together for quite some time, though both had yet to ask the other for their hoof in marriage. Recently, Chuck had heard about the attack on Canterlot that TD had attempted and it had honestly worried him. Sure, everything turned out alright in the end, but he was still concerned. TD was a human like him from the same world; that couldn't be a coincidence. Not to mention, Pinkie Pie had been involved with the attack. Chuck stomped the ground angrily. He wasn't much of a combatant, but he didn't want to feel powerless when it came to saving those he loved. It was frustrating to say the least.

"Penny for your thoughts, Chuck," an unfamiliar voice said from behind. Chuck turned quickly to see a blood-red unicorn with dark sunglasses standing in front of him. The unicorn smiled and said, "You're lucky that you're even in this story, ya know? My writer had to talk to your writer, _impressionsguy_ , just to get you a part. If I had any say in the matter, I'd have left you out of the picture entirely!"

Chuck realized regretfully who was talking to him. He understood full well that TD could kill him before he called out. He stood absolutely no chance. And yet...

Chuck took a quick look at the script for this scene and sighed in relief when he realized that TD wouldn't kill him.

"What. Do. You. Want?" He asked slowly and dryly, already dreading the conversation.

"What does it look like?" TD retaliated, "I'm just looking for a few unfortunate souls to torment that happen to cross my path before my power returns to full strength. You so happened to be the nearest pony that's still up at this hour."

"Oh, lucky me." He rolled his eyes. "Look, I've got to open up, and my cardiac can't really handle..." He motioned to TD as a whole. "All of this."

TD raised an eyebrow and he got an amused smile. "What? Am I that hideous?" He pulled out a mirror and stared for a moment, then put it away. "Well, in all fairness, my mother probably would run screaming if she saw this. Seriously, look at my eyes and tell me they're not scary."

TD removed his sunglasses and stared at Chuck in the eye. The darkening environment plus their draconic appearance in general made his gaze look rather intimidating to most onlookers.

"There goes my appetite for who knows how long," Chuck gagged. "Real nice peepers," He said sarcastically.

"Okay, are you just calm because you know I won't kill you? Or are you like this on a normal basis?" TD demanded, "Because this is getting on my nerves."

"Little bit of both." He admitted. "I normally just have this cavalier attitude because I care very little about most things."

"Sad," TD stated. He looked to Chuck for a moment longer, then an evil grin spread on his face. "But not as sad if a certain 'party pony' and her friends... passed away."

Chuck's eyelids narrowed. "My mother warned me about terrorists and their intimidation tactics."

"Intimidation is only the half of it," TD said, "The second half is putting my plan into action." He gripped Chuck's necktie to look him fully in the eye. "Take my advice: if you value your life and the life of your marefriend, stay. Out of. My. Way. Otherwise, I will personally destroy everything you love here. And that's not a threat, that's a promise."

"Hey, don't mind me. I'll just be sitting here. At the counter. Of my bar. Wasting time." He said, rolling his eyes and waving his hoof around like a real theatrician.

"Or, you could warn the girls that I'm in town," TD suggested. "I could use any excitement about now. Even if it's set at the easiest difficulty." He let go of Chuck and finished as if he was talking to an old friend. "Well, got to go! I have a Time Cannon to find! Toodles!"

And with that, TD burst into flames, crumbling into ashes. The ashes then scattered into a wind that he had apparently conjured up.

"I wish I still had fingers. Because my middle one would be up like a flagpole like now!" Chuck muttered to himself before running off to Twilight's castle.

* * *

The timekeeper pony, Dr. Hooves, was busy going over the list of equipment that he had created/acquired over the years he had spent in Equestria. He let out a low whistle. Even for a guy like him, who had seen many things that boggled the mind, his list was quite impressive. Yet, that's not the reason why he was going over his equipment. He had heard of TD's involvement in Equestria, as well as everypony else, and had decided to take matters into his own hooves, if only for a moment.

"Now where is it? It's not listed under that category! Where could I have- oh, it's in my coat pocket! Silly me!"

Dr. Hooves walked over to a lab coat on the wall and put it on. No sooner had he done so, than a knock was heard at his door. Must be Ditsy Doo again, he said to himself. But instead of Ditsy Doo (Derpy), it was TD himself! Dr. Hooves was shocked. He tried to close the door, but TD easily held it open with his magic. TD stepped inside and closed the door behind him, blocking the Doctor's means of escape.

"Wh- what do you want?" Hooves asked, timidly. TD smiled in a way that looked business-like.

"I think that the reason why I'm here is obvious, Doctor Who."

The last words seemed to strike home to the timekeeper pony. Sweating, he tried to push it aside.

"I'm sorry!" he said nervously, "It's _Hooves_ , not _Who_. I'm afraid that you have the wrong-"

"You can drop the charades, Doctor! I know it's you!" TD shouted, "Not the most subtle name you've gone under, if you ask me!"

Sweat poured down the Doctor's face, as he tried again. "This is a mistake! You've got the wrong stallion!"

"If that's the truth, then this should be a walk in the park," TD said, raising his horn and bringing down a beam of magic at him. At the last second, the Doctor pulled out a strange device from his coat pocket: the Sonic Screwdriver thingy that he always carried with him. The screwdriver buzzed and hummed as the magic beam connected with an invisible barrier. A slight explosion occurred as the two stopped their barrage and TD cried out in pain. The Doctor realized that only one explanation could explain why TD found this painful, as he'd normally shrug it off: his escape from the prison had weakened him a bit. His suspicions were confirmed when TD spoke again.

"Curse that *pant* screwdriver! You've been *groan* busy, dear Doctor. But even in my weakened state, you can't stop the powers of Chaos!"

TD let loose another beam, this time as tendrils of red lightning. The Doctor used his screwdriver again, but this time he slowly but surely gave in. The lightning destroyed the screwdriver and shocked the Doctor terribly. As he lay in the ground too hurt to stand, a two strange creatures came beside him and lifted him up with their hand. The Doctor only vaguely recognized them as Moria Orcs- sorry! _Goblins_ \- something definitely not from Equestria. TD walked up to the Doctor and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

The Doctor only nodded, admitting defeat and confessing that he was who TD claimed he was.

"I will take all of Equestria! But why do it alone, when I can just use your little toys instead?" He looked into the pony's eyes threateningly, "I want the codes to your Time Energy Cannon, Doctor."

"I'll never tell you, monster!" the Doctor retaliated.

"Hurtful, Doctor," TD replied with mock hurt, "I suggest that you get comfortable, because this is going to be a long night." TD's horn began to glow menacingly and the Doctor looked on with a determined expression, that only showed a faint silver of fear. TD noticed this and got an evil smile.

"Don't worry, Doc. This will only hurt...a lot!" TD laughed again as he brought the horn closer to the good Doctor...

* * *

"He's here?! In Ponyville?!" Twilight shouted, almost freaking out right away. The rest of the girls, including Starlight, were standing in the room with her. Pinkie was looking uncharacteristically worried, as if she expected to find Chuck dropping dead any second now.

"Unless there's some OTHER quirky, all powerful, in-your-face-about-it, being here, yeah. He's here," Chuck nodded, slightly out of breath from the run.

"Did he say where he was going?" Starlight asked.

"Hopefully, he's distracted by the popcorn maker in Sugarcube Corner," Spike suggested. "That's where I'd be."

"Something about a Time Cannon," Chuck explained. "Whatever that's about."

Twilight gasped. "That must be Doctor Hooves's place! He told me that he had an invention TD would've liked to get his hands on!"

"Hands?" Rainbow asked.

"He's a human, remember," Twilight explained.

"Well isn't that convenient?" Chuck sighed.

"Tell me about it," Applejack nodded.

"Well, then we'd better get a move on," Twilight said bluntly, "And we're gonna give him a few pieces of our mind for your sake, Chuck."

"Yeah! You're like family to us," Applejack responded.

"Good friends stick together," Fluttershy quietly stated.

"He threatens you, he threatens all of us!" Rainbow Dash added.

"I normally don't like to be the mean pony of the bunch," Pinkie Pie stated, "but nopony threatens my Chuckie and gets away with it!"

"Well, I only feel a little useless compared to all of you, but thank you. Thank you very much," Chuck smiled.

"Anytime," Rainbow nodded.

"Alright girls," Twilight addressed the group, "Let's show TD the true meaning of 'friendship.'"

* * *

"Well? Ready to talk now?" TD inquired of the Doctor. The response was a blast of blood spat into his face.

"Never!"

TD looked as if he was going to explode as he stared at the Doctor's smug face. But instead, he leaned against a wall in defeat. He should've guessed that the Doctor wasn't one to talk. No! Don't give up, he thought to himself. He had to find something to use against him! Just then, he noticed something on a nearby table. A picture of Doctor Hooves and a certain walleyed Pegasus caught his eye. TD grinned and held the picture up to the Doctor.

"A Modern Warfare 3 villain once said, 'Every man has his weakness'." He turned towards one of the goblins holding the Doctor up. "Find the mare! Bring her to me!"

The Doctor realized what TD planned to do and struggled weakly in a vain attempt to escape from his captors. "Stop! Don't hurt her!" he pleaded. "Call of the search! I'll give you anything!"

"Too late!" TD said casually. He then turned to face him and finished in a more sinister tone as the goblin left the room.

"'Till the end of time' too late!"

 **Some time later...**

"What do mean ya couldn't find her!?" TD demanded the goblin upon return

"She wasn't in the street, my lord!" the goblin said timidly.

"It's freaking ten o'clock at night! Of course she's not in the streets! What are you? Four?" TD looked ready to kill someone.

"But, I've only had to fetch prisoners that were goblins! They are always around at dark! I just thought-"

"Arrgg! Do I have to do everything myself?!" TD sighed with frustration, "Stay here! Make sure he doesn't try anything!"

TD angrily turned into Gargamel from _The_ _Smurfs_ movie, pulled out a wand and shouted, "Alacazumple!" Nothing happened.

"Nothing. Cheap thing!"

He then turned back into his original form (human form) and simply held his breath. Once he did, he disappeared completely. The Doctor waited until he was gone, then said to the two goblins, "Well, I'd say that this charade has gone on long enough, don't you?"

The goblins nodded and in a flash of light, they transformed into Celestia and Luna. The two smiled as Celestia used a healing spell on the Doctor.

Meanwhile, the real goblins both lay unconscious inside the Canterlot dungeons. They had been caught by one of the guards in the middle of stealing some food from a vendor's cart. Celestia had figured out what they were doing there, then she and Luna had quickly disguised themselves as the goblins and met up with TD. As much as they had hated letting TD torture the Doctor, they were able to keep their cover up long enough to keep him from realizing the switch. Now, all that needed to be done was wait until he returned with Derpy.

Hopefully, in one piece.

* * *

Ditsy Doo, otherwise known as Derpy, was sleeping peacefully in her bed, unaware of the danger that lay just outside her window. A shadowy figure floated right through the wall like it wasn't there and stood above her. Derpy woke up just in time to see the creepy glowing eyes staring down at her. Before she could scream for help, TD teleported her and himself to Doctor Hooves's lair. He didn't realize at first that no one was there to greet him.

"Give it up, Doctor! I have your marefriend and unless you give me the code, I'll- hey, where'd everyone go?"

Confused, TD released his hold of Derpy, who scampered off to the exit. TD let her go before pulling out a cell phone with his horn's magic. He scrolled through the received messages on it with his hoof and found one that had been sent just recently. The person who sent it was an unknown caller and the message said, "Ambush!"

"Oh no," TD said with a _"why am I not surprised"_ look. As if on cue, Celestia and Luna appeared behind him, along with the Doctor. TD turned around and said hopefully, "Uh...mercy?"

"Uh, no!" Celestia replied with a smile. The three assailants then attacked TD with their magic and screwdriver at once. TD blocked their attacks at once, but he was having a hard time. That alone was obvious as his pony form dropped away and he stood before them in his original form. The magic from the three assailants pushed him against the back wall as he screamed in defiance.

"No! NO! I can't lose!" TD screeched, "The plan isn't complete yet!"

The magic finally reached his hands and exploded in his face. TD fell to the ground, too tired to stand. The Doctor and two sisters stood before him.

"Surrender now, TD, and we will spare you," Celestia calmly commanded.

TD looked up seemingly in defeat, then laughed and said, "Two words, Princess: Flameless Fireworks!"

No sooner had he said those words than a whirring Boise was heard. A previously invisible cannon lowered its barrel at the three ponies and charged up. The Doctor, seeing this in time, pushed them aside as a large blast of energy hit TD square in the chest. As the energy connected, they could hear TD laughing like a loon and with a sickening feeling in his stomach, the Doctor realized that he was absorbing the energy! The blast finally stopped and TD stood before them, fully powered.

"Thanks Doctor! I needed that!"

"How? How'd you know that was the code?" the Doctor asked in confusion.

TD smirked. "Simple. The first time I ever asked for the code was was when we were "friends". You didn't tell me the answer, but instead said that the code was the name of something that you made that you never could get to work. Doctor Hooves had one project that _he_ couldn't get to work; the Flameless Fireworks. Put two and two together, and bingo! Now then, how should I kill you three?"

Just then, the Mane Six burst into the room, all of them giving looks that could kill. TD noticed this and seemed to change his mind.

"Never mind! I'll save it for another day!" he snarled, "See you soon, girls. Real soon!"

Laughing, TD pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head. But right when the "Bang!" was heard, he disappeared in an instant, saving the group the gruesome scene that would've occurred.

"He's gone, but he will return sadly," the Doctor stated. "I suggest that you prepare for the worst. I defeated him before, but almost at the cost of my life."

"Anything that you can tell us that would be helpful, Doctor?" Celestia asked.

"Get ready. Because he's gonna make you walk through Hell and back. Unless..." the Doctor gave Twilight a quizzical look.

"Unless what?" Twilight asked.

"Unless somepony can manage to change his mind. Far stretched, I know, but it's true. Something tells me that he can be turned from this path. All you need is the right opportunity to give him."

* * *

"Arrrrrgggg!"

TD threw a tantrum inside of a secret base that he had built in Equestria. He was sick and tired of being thwarted by the Doctor, no matter what form he was in! Sure, if he was correct in thinking, the Doctor was but a minor problem in his eyes, but an annoying problem as well. TD thumped his head against one of the walls in his base. He needed to stop with the charades and get serious!

"Tomorrow," he said, "Tomorrow, they all die! All of them!"

TD laughed in his hysterical way, his voice once again splitting into the three voices of his divided personalities.

Soon, their deaths would be inevitable and NO ONE would stand in his way.

Except one that held the key to his defeat...and reformation.

* * *

 **Yay! TD has an evil plan! Well, stay tuned for the next chapter and it might just turn out that way.**

 **BTW, just a friendly heads up: school starts soon, so I may not be able to post these things as often as I'd like. So if I start seeming to be inactive during the school semester, it's most likely me getting through school.**

 **Thanks for your time! Chuck, you did a good job today! Rate and review, all that good stuff if you want. And I'll see ya guys later!**

 **Bai!**


	7. Compromise and a Change

**Heyo! Hope y'all didn't have to wait too long for this. Here you go! Another chapter for all of Santa's Elves! This time, you'll notice a bit of a change happen with TD.**

 **Edit: More help from _Imprressionsguy_ on redoing Chuck. Thx!**

* * *

TD was in Twilight's dreams again. He had been doing a similar routine for almost a month now: invade a dream by making it turn into a nightmare, then leaving right when Twilight woke up. However, in the dreams, he seemed to take on a different persona sometimes. He seemed sad, broken inside, as if hiding a history of pain and regret. But he always tried his hardest to hide it from her.

This time, he purposely tried to make her dreams of studying from a stack of books turn into a game of what he called "fifty-two pickup". Unfortunately for him, his spell backfired and the books instead came alive and attacked him, earning a laugh from Twilight. He wasn't too happy with that and tried to kill her, claiming that it was possible to die in a dream. Unfortunately for him, he also forgot that in Equestrian dreams the dreamer could literally do whatever they wanted. Needless to say, TD found that out the hard way. After his defeat in the dream, however, TD still remained there. With nothing better to do, the two somehow found themselves indulging into (more or less) friendly conversation. Or, at least as friendly as you can get with your enemy.

"Well this is a fine tale to spin!" TD muttered, floating in midair, "I can defeat all of you quite easily in reality, but in a dream I'm at your mercy? That's just shameful!"

"Maybe next time you'll think twice about taking me on in a dream," Twilight said triumphantly.

"I will. I don't want to deal with math equations attacking me as you write them down!" TD replied with a shudder.

"Oh come on! You were enjoying yourself in a lot of those attempts gone south," Twilight noted, a smirk on her face.

"Eh, you got me there," he agreed, "But can you blame me? I did say that I'm a villain in my own way. That and it's usually quite easy to humor me. Don't believe me, just check out my profile on the site that this story is being posted on."

"I'm sorry?"

"I have the same thing Pinkie Pie has. Back home, we call it 'breaking the Fourth Wall'. It actually was first invented in a situation that involved a literal wall."

"Huh. Maybe I should look into that."

"You may find it interesting... wait a second!" He suddenly turned back to a darker attitude, "Why am I doing this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?!" TD shouted, "I'm supposed to be evil! Your enemy! And yet, here I am talking to you as if you're an old friend! If you placed a spell on me or something, then I promise that I will make you regret it till the day you die! Assuming that you're not immortal."

"I don't see why we can't take a break from our rivalry in our dreams at least..." Twilight began, but was cut off.

"Oh, shut up! I have to leave anyways, before you wake up."

"What happens if I wake up before you leave?"

"Theoretically, nothing. But, I'm not taking any chances! Good bye!"

And with that, TD left her dream in a flash. Literally. Not long afterwards, Twilight was awoken by the smell of Applejack's cooking downstairs. She smiled to herself and shook her head. She was never going to understand that guy, was she? He always acted evil towards them in reality, but in her dreams he seemed more at ease and also seemed to regret his decisions in reality. As bad as he was, Twilight couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

 _Wonder what he's up to today?_ she thought to herself.

* * *

"That was WAY too close!" TD scolded himself, as he awoke from his own slumber. "I was that close to still being there when she woke up! I mean, theoretically, nothing would have happened, but still! That's no excuse for my actions!"

TD sat up straight, and immediately regretted his decision when he bumped his head against the low roof above him. He groaned and bit back a curse as he felt his way around for an exit. He was in his human form, so it was quite cramped for him. Luckily, he had had experience with such situations a few times in his childhood. He found a lid to something and pushed with all his might. It came off, hitting a stack of some empty barrels with a loud clattering noise. TD groaned as he pulled himself out of the barrel he was in and looked around. Apparently, he was in some kind of cellar. TD tried to remember why he was even in here. At first, nothing came to mind. Until he saw it come back to him in the form of a cut scene styled flashback.

 **Last night...**

TD laughed wickedly to himself as he brooded over his evil plans. The deadline was to come sometime soon in the future. All of his hopes were going to come true. To celebrate the occasion, he had brought out a special kind of cupcake to eat. However, he had only taken one bite before one of his goblins walked in asking, "Where's that giant mushroom I found earlier?"

"Why?" TD said as everything went blank.

 **Present...**

TD groaned and spoke in a tone that almost made it sound like he had just woken up after a night of being high.

"Of course it was a mushroom. Why is it always the mushrooms, man? I don't even freaking like mushrooms!"

"Then why eat it?" a familiar voice asked.

TD straightened. He had only heard that voice in one other place: Earth, in Weird Al Yankovic songs. But Weird Al didn't live in Equestria, and only one pony had the same voice as he did. TD turned to face the intruder, hoping that his guess was correct.

"Cheese Sandwich? What are you doing here?"

"I work here, technically speaking!" Cheese answered, "I think it should be me asking you!"

"Work here? But, how can you- Oh no. No. No."

Just then, the one pony TD was hoping not to see walked in.

"Hey! Chuck old boy!" TD said nervously, trying to sound cheerful, "Penny for your thoughts?"

A slot appeared on Chuck's head and TD placed a quarter into it. When he did, a thought bubble appeared above Chuck's head showing a cinematic picture of Chuck beating TD to a pulp. TD winced a bit.

"I'm almost sorry I asked," TD muttered, "Though I won't lie when I say that it disturbs me."

"The thought process is a funny thing." Chuck said between his gritted teeth.

"How'd you guys even know I was in here?" TD asked.

"Well, I was hit by a cut-scene flashback, and when it cleared I was in front of the cellar door," Cheese explained. TD groaned at this.

"And THIS is why I hate fighting against other Fourth Wall breakers," he grumbled.

"I know, level playing fields must be so unfair for someone so used to having the higher ground in every situation ever." Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you a little too old to be mouthing off to me when I can kill you in a snap?" TD asked, "Because a mushroom-induced hangover isn't gonna stop me."

"Go ahead, snap your fingers Thanos." Chuck rolled his eyes. "Great public relations stunt."

TD looked like he was ready to do just that, but then a thought came to mind. Pulling out a script from the last chapter, he quickly scanned over it, then smiled wickedly.

"What did I say I'd do if you got in my way again?" TD asked mockingly, "I think it was along the lines of, 'destroy everything you love'." He laughed and started to fade away. "See you real soon, Murphy! Ahahaha!"

His image disappeared right as Cheese tried to smash into him, causing him to hit the wall instead. Thankfully, he picked himself up like nothing had happened.

"I'm gonna get him. I don't know when. I don't know how. I just will." Chuck snarled. "Now, Cheese, go tell the girls he was here. Two days of pay if you do!"

"Sir yessir!" He nodded, taking off in the direction of the Castle of Friendship.

* * *

Celestia stood on the balcony of the Canterlot castle and raised the sun to signal the start of a new day in Equestria. She sighed as she turned to return to the throne room and begin her royal duties for the day. Needless to say, she was surprised when she saw an uncomfortably familiar pony figure sitting on her throne, smiling at her as she entered. TD whistled and said in an impression of a Southern voice, "Dang! She's a hit with all the men in town, ain't she!"

Celestia may have been surprised, but she was quick to recover. Slyly, she said, "I'm not sure that would work, TD. What about our age differences? You're so old, I might give you a heart attack."

TD was silent at first, but then he laughed and replied in his normal voice, "Oh, don't worry Celestia! I hear that you're really good good at mouth-to-mouth."

Celestia recoiled in disgust (but secretly in humorous surprise as well) at his comment. She was relieved when her sister's voice interrupted the silence.

"Ewww! Thy speech be revolting, say the least!"

"Oh look! The Medieval _Night_ has come to rescue the Princess! Ha! See what I did there?"

"I saw thy wordplay, and I think that it be disastrous." Luna walked into the room from the same direction that Celestia had come from. TD looked on and said sarcastically, "Well, isn't this quite the predicament I'm in! Oh no! Whatever will I do? *suddenly serious* How about this?"

TD's horn glowed and in a flash of light, Discord and the Mane Six appeared in the throne room. Chuck was also there, but he seemed more angry than surprised that TD had brought them there. Everyone seemed to have been in the middle of something. The Mane Six seemed to be in the middle of running out a door (in fact, Twilight literally had to stop all of them from crashing into a wall with her magic), Chuck had a mug in his front hooves filled with cider, and Discord had a shower cap on and was dripping wet. Discord gave a girlish scream before making the shower cap disappear and his body dry off. Chuck simply muttered, "There goes another customer," and chugged down the cider himself. TD waited until they had all acknowledged that he was in the room with them.

"I'm sure that you're all wondering why you're all here..."

"Not really," Twilight interrupted.

"Oh...well then, let's go!"

TD turned back into a human and fired a burst of energy at all of them in the form of red lightning, Star Wars style. They all blocked his attacks, but were quickly overpowered before they could say "knife". TD laughed and said, "Wow! That was quite a sorry sight! I can almost read the headlines! *pulled out newspaper* 'Princesses of Equestria and the Spirit of Chaos Defeated by The Terror of Dimensions in Ten Seconds'. How unfortunate!"

"You won't get away with-"

"I know what you're going to say, but I think that it's obvious who's won this battle," TD stated, "If that's even what's happened. This is way too early for the plan to even be accomplished, honestly."

"What?!" The Equestrians all shouted in alarm.

"Yeah. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm taking this in a surprisingly different fashion, am I not? Or, at least that's what I assume is the case."

"TD, you don't have to do this!" Twilight reasoned, "When I was in the mirror with Starlight, I saw what you truly are made of. And last night in my dreams, I saw a different side to you that you've tried so hard to keep it hidden from us. There's good in you that wants to be free! Fight the darkness within you! Let me help you become more than just the villain!"

"Don't tell me what to do, girl!" TD suddenly spat out, his magic levitating Twilight in front of him. The others tried desperately to help her, but found themselves pinned in place by an unseen force. Even Discord found his magic to be useless against this. TD's form altered itself before their eyes as he brought Twilight close to him, his right hand held up in a threatening manner.

His skin had gone from white to deathly pale, his eyes turned blood-red, vampire fangs grew from his mouth, and a large pair of draconic wings sprouted from his back. Twilight may not have known much about him, but she had a sickening feeling that his darker side had taken full control. He growled out, "I should kill you right now! I can kill you and I WILL!" TD raised his hand as a sphere of magic appeared in his hand. Everyone else tried to escape to help him, especially Rainbow Dash, but in vain. Twilight closed her eyes and waited for the finishing blow. And waited. And waited... Finally, his voice was heard again, this time softer.

"And yet, I hesitate. Why do I hesitate?"

Confused, Twilight opened her eyes and looked at TD. His appearance was virtually the same, but his eyes had changed back to their blue color. They stared at her in silence, waiting for an answer. Twilight was still confused, but she had one idea of why he was acting differently. Quietly, she replied, "Because that's not what you want. You want to change this, don't you?"

TD paused, then slowly answered, "Yes." His form altered again; his vampire fangs shrank away, his skin's color returned to its regular white color, and his wings disappeared. The unseen force holding down her friends suddenly disappeared and they all stared up in disbelief. TD fell to his knees and burst into tears, a true heartfelt sorrow expressed through such emotions. Twilight was placed back down onto the floor beside him and his magic that had held her up also disappeared. TD continued to cry as Twilight put one of her front hooves on his shoulder. TD looked up at her and said tearfully, "I don't know what to do anymore, but I guess I can start with at least one thing. With your permission, Princesses, I'd like to at the least make a compromise." TD stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"What I propose is this: I will have one of you have private meetings with me. You will teach me, reform me, or whatever you do. I don't care, so long as you do it to the best of your ability. In exchange, I will teach you magic that is unheard of in your world. To be safe, none of the magic I teach will be taught with the intention of corruption, though I can't guarantee that I won't try to show you how I view things. If either side doesn't uphold their end of the bargain, or if either end decides to use these to their advantage, then everything goes. Do we have a deal?"

Celestia stood up and asked him one question, "Before we agree to this, do you promise that you will uphold your end of the bargain and all of its conditions?"

"I promise. And when I make a promise, I intend to stand and deliver. No going back. If it will make you feel better..." TD lifted up his arms and performed a familiar promise: "Cross my heart, hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye!" At the last part, he summoned a literal cupcake and stuck it in his eye. Satisfied, Celestia shook his hand with her hoof. TD smiled kindly as he stepped back and sighed. This was not gonna be easy for him to play out, even if he was serious about the compromise. His dark side wouldn't like it too much.

"...know which one of us you'd like to take for your meetings, TD?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Which one of us will you take?"

"Oh, uh..."

TD looked around the room at the group of ponies standing around him. Well, almost all of them. Chuck was eyeing him suspiciously, his front hoof around Pinkie Pie in a protective manner. He had almost forgotten about Chuck. TD turned to the Princesses and surveyed them in a sense. Celestia would be too busy to have any efficient meetings, and Luna was still sore towards him for making that one dream unalterable. Cadence had Flurry Heart to take care of, so that wasn't an option and she wasn't present. He didn't want to just drop in and force the conditions upon her. Twilight, however... Twilight. She was perfect! She didn't have as many duties, she had no official kingdom of her own, and she was probably the least likely of the bunch to blast him to smithereens after all his antics.

"Princess Twilight, get some rest. Tomorrow, your place on the balcony at sunset. See ya then."

Without waiting for a response, TD disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Twilight was not sure why she was chosen, but she was positive that something had changed inside of him to make such an offer. She was excited, but also a little worried. Her plan was to see if she could reform him, but what if the exact opposite happened to her? Such a huge responsibility rested on her shoulders. Not only was her life possibly on the line, but also that of Equestria as a whole. Well, tomorrow was going to be a long day. Twilight climbed into her bed and quickly fell fast asleep, unaware of the pair of glowing eyes outside her window nor the quiet and kind voice that whispered, "Good night, Miss Sparkle."

Tomorrow, TD was going to change everything.

* * *

 **In case you're wondering, I wanted to do this for awhile with TD, but I wasn't sure if I should've waited or not. In the end, _impressionsguy_ suggested doing it now. Whether or not it was a good idea, what's done is done!**

 **Like, review, all that stuff, but only if you want to! And even if it's hurtful, be honest on how you think about the story. Cya next time!**


	8. TD's Day with the Mane Six

**Whew! Being an author is hard! How am I doing this? Anyways, I hope that you enjoy! I used two songs in this story. One is a Disney classic, the other is from an old Mr. Magoo show that I own called "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol".**

 **Edited lyrics a bit in the Disney song I used to make more sense. All rights to the Aladdin song goes to Disney. I'm not sure who to give credit for the Magoo song, but I don't claim ownership! It goes to proper owners.**

* * *

The sun rose upon the town of Ponyville as Twilight woke up with a yawn. She sat up and almost had a heart attack. TD's eyes were seen in the dark, glowing in what little shadows remained as the place was filled with sunlight. Twilight attempted to scream, but before she could, TD flew across the room to her and covered her mouth with a hoof. Full sunlight now filled the room and Twilight could see that he gone with the Changeling form that Starlight had seen him with.

"Shh! Do you want me to be labeled as a pedophile? Don't answer that! I just got here like a few minutes ago and I didn't want to wake you. Sorry I spooked ya. I'm gonna take my hoof off your mouth and trust you not to scream."

TD removed his mismatched hoof from her mouth and waited.

"Do you have any idea how ponies look down upon Changelings here in Equestria? You could've been attacked by every single pony in Ponyville!"

"They all wouldn't stand a chance. By the way, you look kinda cute when you're asleep, did you know that?"

"I don't look cute! Spike says that I drool sometimes!"

"Well, has it occurred to you that maybe he's known you long enough to have the right to say that? Take it as a compliment and leave it at that!"

"Ok...So, why are you here if the meeting is later today?"

"To have some fun, but partly to annoy you! *giggle* Ain't I a stinker or what?"

"Well, you definitely know how to start the day on that note."

"Yep! Now, what would you like to do today?"

"Can I at least talk to the girls and have breakfast first?"

"Take your time. I was actually hoping to get their attention, for I have a special music montage to do with the lot of you."

* * *

After having a good breakfast, Twilight and the girls were joined by TD in the room with the map. Spike was also with them, as he was practically forced to be present (courtesy of TD). They all sat eyeing him in anticipation.

"Well, what do y'all want to do?"

"What exactly do you mean?" Starlight inquired.

"Just that! It's your call! We have a whole day before Twi and I have to start the meeting, so I'd like to do something fun."

"Uh, okay," Applejack responded, "but what can you do?"

"Pfft!" Spike scoffed, "His idea of fun is to burn an entire village to the ground."

Suddenly, the song "Friend Like Me" from Disney's Aladdin started playing, queuing the musical montage.

(I don't really know how to describe it: think the movie scene from Aladdin only with the Mane Six, Starlight, and Spike, with TD playing the genie. Also, anyone's name that shows up like [this] is the character(s) involved in that part of the song. All singing is done by TD)

"My friends! I don't think you quite realize what you've got here! So why don't you just sit back and watch me illuminate the possibilities.

 **[Entire group]** _Well, Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezad-ie had a thousand tales._

 _But my friends, you in luck, 'cause up your sleeves you've got a brand of magic never fails!_

 **[Rainbow Dash]** _You got some power in your corner now, some heavy ammunition in your camp._

 **[Fluttershy]** _You've got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo and how! See, all ya gotta do is run that lamp, and I'll say,_

 **[Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity]** _'Mrs Twilight, mam, what will your pleasure be?_

 _Let me take your order, Jot it down!'_

 _Ya ain't never had a friend like me!_

 _Life is your restaurant and I'm your maitre d'!_

 **[Rarity]** _C'mon, whisper what it is you want. You ain't never had a friend like me!_

 _Yes sir, we pride ourselves on service._

 **[Starlight]** _You've the boss, the queen, the Shah!_

 _Say what you wish, it's yours! True dish! How about a little more Baklava?_

 **[Applejack]** _Have some of column 'A', try all of column 'B'. I'm in the mood to help you, dude!_

 _You ain't never had a friend like me!_

 ***scat part***

 **[RD]** _Can your friends do this? Do your friends do that?_

 _Can your friends pull this out of their little hat? Can your friends go poof?_

 **[Spike]** _Well, lookie here! Ha ha!_

 _Can your friends go, 'Abracadabra, let 'er rip!' And then make the sucker disappear?_

 **[Twilight]** _So doncha sit there slack jawed, buggy eyed; I'm here to answer all your midday prayers._

 _You got me bona fide, certified! You got TD for your charde d'affaires!_

 **[Pinkie Pie]** _I got a powerful urge to help you out, so what-cha wish? I really want to know!_

 _You got a list that's three miles long, no doubt! Well, all you gotta do is rub like so- and oh!_

 **[Spike]** _Mrs. Twilight, mam, have a wish, or two, or three, I'm on the job you big nabob!_

 **[Everyone]** _You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend_

 _You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend_

 _You ain't never. Had a. Friend like me!_

 ***music break***

 _You ain't never had a friend like me! Ha!_

*end montage*

* * *

Everything disappeared at the end of the song as TD sat in a relaxed pose, not even looking winded. Everyone just looked on in complete surprise. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak.

"Uh, what just happened?"

"You just went through a montage, baby!"

"So, we can do anything with you?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly.

"Almost. There are few boundaries I'll place down so we don't end up doing something that will end terribly for either of us."

"Like what?" Rarity asked.

"Just read this," TD said, pulling out a scroll from nowhere. Twilight skimmed over it with Starlight, then said with a smile, "I think that's reasonable. Alright, TD. We accept the boundaries."

"Thank you! Now who wants to go first?"

Rainbow Dash suddenly got a mischievous grin.

* * *

TD laughed along with Rainbow Dash as they remembered the pranks that they had pulled on the various ponies that they had turned into their victims.

"Ha ha ha! Okay, I thought that my box trick was ok. But a bench that shocks you every time you go for the wrong snacks?! That was great!"

"I know! And the looks on that couple's faces when we barged in there with the paint guns shouting 'Merry Christmas, buckers'! Priceless!"

The two laughed again and fell to the ground breathless. After regaining their composure, TD stood up and said, "Welp! Looks like Rarity is next in the list. I'd better go! Cya, RD!" He then disappeared in a glorious explosion that, oddly enough, didn't actually destroy anything.

* * *

Rarity had asked to go shopping in Canterlot with TD, who teleported then there to make the journey faster. He also paid for all of the fabrics and such that Rarity wanted. For subtlety's sake, TD had changed back into his pony form and kept his sunglasses on.

"Thank you for helping me out, darling!" Rarity said to TD as they left one of the shops.

"Your welcome, Rarity. I'm not up for fashion, but I can't leave ya hanging either. Besides, you make some of the best lines of clothing I've ever seen in this world."

Just then, an upper class mare walked up to them and snorted.

"What are you doing here in Canterlot?"

"We're picking strawberries," TD replied sarcastically. "However, it's been so cold lately that they've all turned blue."

"Hmph! Well, I think it's not proper for ponies of _your_ class walking about here in Canterlot."

"Excuse me?"

"You got cloth ears? Nopony here wants you about! Especially residents of Ponyville."

The last words were directed at Rarity, who was either about to burst into tears or attack the upper class mare. It was hard to tell which. However, before she could do anything, the mare suddenly tripped and fell into a muddy puddle of water. The fall terribly stained her dress and she looked in total shock down at her back feet. A rope had been tied to her two back feet in a fashion similar to when shoelaces snag. TD simply walked by, splashing some more water onto her as he passed with a smug grin on his face. "Oops," he said sarcastically, then turned to Rarity, who was beaming a thankful smile at him. The two then continued their shopping.

 **After shopping...**

"Thanks again for that back there. Those Canterlot ponies are so stuck up towards other classes!"

"Unfortunately, I have people like that back home who act the same way, regardless of their class. We say that they have a 'holier than thou art' attitude. Are you sure you don't want any help around the boutique before I head over to Fluttershy's?"

"Oh, no! You go right ahead, darling. I prefer to do the work alone, anyways. Besides, she'll be waiting for you."

"Alright! If anyone else messes with you like that again, don't hesitate to call me. Toodles!"

TD pulled out a pair of scissors and cut a hole into the air next to him, revealing a dark portal, which he jumped into. A needle and thread then appeared and sewed the hole shut before they themselves disappeared with a proof.

* * *

"I'm glad that you got here so quickly, TD. I was just about to feed the animals and there's so many of them. Do you think that you can help with that?"

"Say no more! But, if I may ask, do you prefer that it be done in a flash, or that I do it personally; the old-fashioned way?"

"I think it's better if you do it the old-fashioned way."

"Ok. Well, here goes nothing."

TD started with the bunnies, quietly approaching them with a few carrots.

"It's alright, little guys. I'm not gonna hurt you," TD softly said, making sure that his voice wasn't too loud or his movements too quick. The bunnies were a bit hesitant at first, but finally a young bunny hopped up to him and ate a carrot from his hand. Seeming this, the other bunnies quickly joined the two of them. TD had to make a conscious effort not to shout with glee. After the bunnies were fed, TD moved on to the birds, then the bees, and finally a couple of bears. Initially, they'd be a bit timid towards him, but eventually they grew to accept his presence as they did with Fluttershy. After their hard work was done, Fluttershy offered him some cucumber sandwiches, but TD politely refused.

"I don't want Discord to be jealous of me staying longer than necessary. Besides, I'd better get to Pinkie Pie before she decides to turn the town upside down looking for me. Later, Fluttershy!"

TD quietly sunk into the ground King Dice style, leaving Fluttershy with only one last job to take care of; finding Angel and getting him to take his bath.

* * *

TD was glad when he figured out that all Pinkie Pie wanted him to do was help her deliver some treats to the designated customers in Ponyville. The last thing he needed was a run in with Chuck. Sure, he had been there when TD had offered the compromise, but he felt that the wounds had yet to heal, so to speak. The deliveries went smoothly, although some ponies initially freaked out when they saw who was delivering the treats. But all in all, the deliveries with Pinkie Pie went without a hitch. After the delivery run, Pinkie Pie attempted to pay TD for his work, but he told her to keep it.

"Money is not a problem for me in this world. Besides, you'll need it more than I will. Who's next on me list? Applejack, it would appear. Okie Dokie! I'm gone!"

TD disappeared in a burst of confetti, distracting Pinkie Pie from asking him any questions.

* * *

"Alright, we already got about half the orchard done already, but you can help Big Mac with the rest. Once you're finished there, come over to the barn and see if Ah have anything for ya."

"You got it, Applejack!"

TD walked over to one of the trees in the other half of the orchard and bucked it with his hind legs. Apples fell from the tree and he caught all of them with his magic before they hit the ground. He then teleported some buckets over to him and placed the apples inside. TD then repeated the cycle over and over for each tree. He actually did it much faster than even he had expected. Once that was taken care of, TD went into the barn and helped Applejack move some extremely large hay bales into the loft. After the work was all done, TD and the Apple family sat down to a delicious meal cooked up for them. During this time, TD met Applebloom and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who found him both thrilling and yet kinda scary. But once they realized that he was truly a nice guy at heart, they didn't feel so uneasy around him. After the meal, TD sat up and politely said, "Thank you for your hospitality, but I must be off."

"Whoa there, sonny! What's the hurry?" Granny Smith asked.

"I scheduled a meeting with Twilight, and I don't want to be late. Thanks again!"

A giant slingshot appeared and TD jumped into it. The slingshot fired him up into the sky far beyond sight, then the slingshot disappeared in a flash. Granny chuckled at the sight.

"He's a nice kid, but he is also a bit lonely. Ah can tell. Ah hope that he finds what he's truly looking for here in Equestria."

* * *

Twilight sat on the balcony to the Castle of Friendship as she waited for TD to arrive for the scheduled meeting. She had started clocking the time she estimated that it would take for him to arrive. The sun was already being lowered by Celestia and the moon by Luna. Where was he? He was going to be late! A nearby clock started ringing, and as it did she suddenly heard TD speaking.

"Hickory Dickory Dock! The mice ran up the clock! The clock struck one, the mice ran down, and one of them had minor injuries."

Turning around, Twilight saw TD standing before her in his human form with a smile on his face.

"Do you always have to enter with something as random as that?"

"No, but where's the fun in that? Now, shall we begin?"

TD summoned a special seat for them, so they could sit side by side, but also keep some distance if desired. The two started talking about each other's world. Twilight was amazed at what TD already knew about Equestria, and TD was equally amazed at Twilight's knowledge of his own world. The two then started having a conversation about each other's magical capabilities and the kinds of magic that they had encountered. TD had such a wide variety of magic that he knew about that made Twilight feel like her own knowledge of magic was child's play. Eventually, Twilight asked a personal question.

"TD, you said that you didn't know what you wanted here anymore. What did you mean by that?"

"Well Twi, that's just it. I don't know if friendship is what I want or if I simply want to crush this world. I don't really have anything that I would associate with a friend. I'm...rather lonely to be honest."

"Lonely? I don't see how that's possible if you have friends."

"Well, that's just it. I still feel like I'm missing something. You probably don't understand what it's like to be all alone, with no one to greet you in other worlds. No one who recognizes you as a friend, even when you try to-"

"Why are you stroking my mane?"

"Am I?" TD looked down at his right hand and found that what she said was true. "Oh dear! I'm sorry! I didn't realize that I was! My hands are usually quite restless, like me in a sense. I'm a bit autistic, so that's part of the reason. I didn't intend on-"

"It's okay. I...didn't say that you had to stop." Twilight blushed a bit at her own statement.

"Uh, ok?"

TD looked away from her for a second, before he turned back and continued.

"It's not easy, living the way I do. I have no one to call me ally in most worlds that I go to. I'm always lonely it seems. I try to deny it at times, but other times it's painfully obvious to me. The worst part, is when none bother to try and understand me."

TD then began to sing a sad song from his world, looking out into the night sky as he did so:

 _When you're alone, alone in the world_

 _When you're alone in the world._

 _Blown away leaves get blown in the world_

 _Swirled away leaves get swirled._

 _Listening to your heels when you walk, making a lonely 'klack!'_

 _You don't know how it feels when you talk and nobody's voice talks back._

 _A hand for each hand was planned for the world, why don't my fingers reach?_

 _Millions of grains of sand in the world, why such a lonely beach?_

 _Where is a voice to answer mine back? Where are two shoes that 'click' to my 'klack'?_

 _I'm all alone in the world._

TD looked down at the ground sadly as he finished his song, and a tear fell from his eyes. Twilight noticed this and gave a comforting smile as she held out her front hooves in a welcoming embrace. TD didn't object and hugged her back, burying his face into her mane as he let out some more tears. The two stayed there for a while, as Twilight gave him the comfort that he needed. Finally, when they ended the hug, Twilight said, "You know, you don't have to be lonely anymore. We're here for you if you need us."

"I know. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle."

"You're welcome." The alicorn yawned. "Well, I think we'd better get to sleep. Good night, TD."

Twilight started to walk back inside the Castle, but stopped when she heard TD say something that was almost inaudible.

"William."

"What?"

"My real name is William. I thought that someone might as well know."

Twilight smiled. "I like that name. It seems to suit you well."

Twilight turned and walked back into the Castle of Friendship, leaving TD on the balcony alone with his thoughts. He smiled and let out a content sigh. Twilight had really helped him in his emotional conflict. She was really understanding, not to mention sweet, caring, and beautiful. Yeah, she was something...

TD shook his head. What is wrong with me? She's not even my own species! Besides, it's not like I have a crush on her- wait...

Do I have a crush on her?

* * *

 **Yep, this is where their feelings for each other start out. TD originally tries making excuses, but as time goes on, he becomes more open in his feelings to her. Meanwhile Twilight will be struggling in her own way to figure things out.**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed! Cya next time!**

 **Songs:**

 **"Friend Like Me" from Disney's _Aladdin_.**

 **"Alone in the World" from _Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol._**


	9. Pinkie Pie's Secret

**I've been having this idea for awhile now. I won't reveal what the surprise is in this author's note, but let's just say that it involves Pinkie Pie and a secret that she's been keeping from the other ponies since she was a filly.**

 **Big thanks to _Hikaru the Jinx_ 's story for giving me the idea.**

 **Edit: Yep. Another redo with Chuck. XD**

* * *

"Focus! Feel the power of the Thuum within! Let it's meaning course through you. Apply that meaning to your Shout!"

TD had finally started some of his magic lessons after a few more meetings had commenced. He had decided to start with some magic and lore he had discovered from a world that he called Tamriel. He had been teaching Twilight a special dragon "Shout" that he said was probably the easiest and most common one to use. It also happened to be one of his personal favorites. However, it wasn't easy. Because Twilight wasn't a dragon herself nor possessed the blood of the dragons, it took about a month before she started to show some results. Nevertheless, TD was pleased to find that Twilight was a quick learner.

"Now, try again."

Twilight closed her eyes and waited for TD to set up the target. TD walked over to the center of the training room and shouted something that sounded like, "Eek Ruh Sah!" A ghost-like silhouette of a pony appeared in the room. Twilight's target. Twilight opened her eyes and shouted, "Fus Roh Dah!" A large burst of energy came from her mouth and knocked both the target and a few other objects across the room. Before the target hit the ground again, it faded away and was gone. TD smiled with approval.

"Excellent! You are a quick learner, Twilight Sparkle. If it wasn't for the fact that you don't have any Dragon blood in you, I would've thought that you were the Dragonborn of Equestria!"

"Well, magic has always been my strong point," she replied proudly, "I _am_ the Element of Magic, after all."

"Yes, well either way, you're the first student of mine that has managed to excel at these things without Dragon blood."

"Just one question: what difference does it make if you have Dragon blood inside you?"

"Without Dragon Blood, you have to study and practice hard to achieve it," TD explained, "However, with Dragon Blood, it comes naturally to you, almost like your talents- and therefore, Cutie Marks- come naturally to you."

"Oh! Well, that's interesting to know!"

Spike walked in on them and, upon hearing this, he asked, "Wait, you mean that I can do the same Shout without as much effort?"

"Probably," TD said with a smile, "But you're still considered a baby among other dragons, so it might be just as hard for you. But, I have a theory..."

TD starting speaking in a different language, one which Twilight was familiar with, but not verbally: the language of the Dragons. She didn't understand entirely what was being said, although one word she did understand was "strength". However, Spike suddenly opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"Whoa! That's amazing!" he exclaimed.

"Spike, what did he say?" Twilight asked.

"He said, 'Strength comes not from your outer appearance. True strength comes from within.'"

Twilight was amazed. "That's incredible! How can he understand you? He's never heard it before either."

"That's my theory," TD explained, "Apparently, the ancient language of the Dragons can be understood by all dragons from all worlds, though not necessarily spoken."

Just then, an explosion of confetti landed in TD's face and knocked him off balance. But instead of getting mad or wondering what had happened, he simply smiled.

"Pinkie Pie. Only Pinkie Pie could hide a surprise cannon like that! On that note, you can come out now, Pinkie!"

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find out!" Pinkie Pie's voice called out, jumping out of his mane to stand before him; he had been in his pony form for the training today. Twilight was about to ask how she had gotten there and why TD wasn't surprised, but decided against it. Pinkie Pie obviously had something to say, so TD let her speak.

"I just realized that we never gave you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party! We should give you one today! Can we? Canwecanwecanwe?"

TD chuckled. "Not today, Pinkie Pie. But you can throw it tomorrow! I don't have anything planned tomorrow, so it'd be perfect!"

"Okie Dokie Loki! Thank you!"

Pinkie Pie suddenly brought TD into a great big hug that, for most ponies, would have them gasping for breath. But it was not breathing that TD was concerned about. When Pinkie Pie hugged him, he felt a surge of power leave his body and get absorbed into Pinkie Pie. It wasn't something too serious to worry about, as it was too small of a surge of power to be a problem for him. Nevertheless, it still surprised him, as he knew only one other creature that could do that.

 _But, that's impossible!_ he thought to himself, _I'd have seen it by now!_

While he was still pondering what it meant, Pinkie Pie released him and said with a smile, "Well, I gotta go! I need to send invites to everypony in town, bake the cake, and prepare for the festivities! Wait a minute! What do you like?"

TD snapped out of his train of thought long enough to say, "Surprise me. And if it doesn't work out, I'll just spice things up with my magic."

This seemed satisfactory enough for Pinkie Pie, so she left by bouncing out the door. Twilight and Spike turned towards TD, noticing his troubled look.

"Is everything alright, TD?" Twilight asked.

"Huh? Oh, just something that's on my mind," TD said. He always was honest with his friends, but he would occasionally leave out some details if he wanted to keep something hidden. And for the time being he felt that this discovery should remain a secret for now.

"Uh, I think that's enough training for one day," he finished, not wanting to bring up anything else that might cause the conversation to keep rolling.

"Oh, ok!" Twilight said with a nod, "I'm going to see if the girls need any help. See ya later, TD!"

Spike and Twilight both left the room, leaving TD to ponder what had occurred between himself and Pinkie Pie. Only when they were completely gone did he speak his mind.

"Is it possible that Pinkie Pie is a Changeling?"

* * *

Pinkie Pie waited until she was well away from the Castle, and then she drew a breath of relief. That was WAY too close! Her cover had almost been blown! But that's what terrified her. She had never had an energy surge like that happen before with anypony! But then again, TD wasn't technically a pony. He was a human with crazy powerful magic. That energy surge...He must've felt it! What if he discovered her secret? What if the girls found her secret? So far, only Applejack had discovered her secret and she had promised to keep it a secret. She had taken it well, but what about the others? Would they still consider her their friend? So much fear resided behind Pinkie's cheerful demeanor. She couldn't afford to have everything that she had gained go away. Everypony that she loved...

"Hey, Cutie Pie! I'm on my lunch break, want to get something to eat?" a familiar voice called to her. Pinkie Pie turned her head and smiled at the figure who had spoken. Chuck was calling out to her from the entrance to his tavern and waving one of his front hooves at her. Like TD, Chuck was also a human, but he wasn't powerful like TD. Pinkie didn't care, though. She loved Chuck just the way he was, and he loved her back. Yet, a small twinge of fear still resided inside. Would he still love her if he knew what she truly was? However, about his offer...

Pinkie thought about the offer for a split second, and decided that decorations would have to wait.

"Sure!" she called, bouncing up to him.

"Y'alright?" He asked her as they walked. "You look like you have something on your mind."

Pinkie didn't reply right away, for what was on her mind was not something she wanted to reveal at the moment.

 _Chuck, I love_ _you_ , she thought to herself, _but will you still love me if you know what I am?_

* * *

TD thought through his plan carefully as he sat on a cloud far above Ponyville. This was a delicate matter, and he had to be careful about how he approached this. He couldn't just call Pinkie out and hope for something to happen. He needed proof, then he would have to confront her personally and privately. Only then could he take the steps towards revealing her to everyone else. Not exactly a quick solution, but it was the best solution. It never would do well to just accuse her in front of everyone else. Besides, what did he have to accuse her of? Being a Changeling? That may work in Equestria, but it didn't make it right.

"Okay, all I have to do is find a good time to gather some evidence first," TD said to himself, "I'll try tonight. Sound easy enough and it'll force me to not procrastinate over this. But afterwards, I should probably discuss it in private with her. It won't do well to just announce it right away." A sudden realization hit him. "But how will the others take it? Especially Chuck? She may need protection if one of them lashes out..."

TD sighed. This wasn't going to be easy... But then again, who said friendship ever was?\

"You should probably become a counselor," a nearby pegasus suggested to him as he flew on by.

"Hit the road, Jack!" TD replied, "What are you waiting for? A Silly Song?"

* * *

Pinkie Pie returned to Sugarcube Corner after a long day of hard work. She trotted up to her room and shut the door. Chuck wasn't home yet, because he had been forced to stay behind at the tavern overtime. She sighed in disappointment, but with a twinge of relief as she stood in front of the mirror in her room. Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and a burst of pink flames engulfed her for a split second, revealing a different creature underneath.

Pinkie Pie's pink fur had been replaced with a black insect shell. Pink insect wings sprouted from her back and a small ebony horn protruded from her head. A pair of fangs were seen in her mouth and her legs were filled with unnatural looking holes. Her eyes had also changed and seemed to glow in the low light, losing their pupils. Yet, her eyes were not the same color of blue as the rest of the Changelings, but the same color as her pony eyes. Her mane was still there and was still pink, but like her legs, it too was filled with holes. Pinkie Pie stood in front of the mirror in her true form, the only time that she could see herself as she truly was. Pinkie Pie let out a sigh. She knew that she couldn't hide this from her friends forever, but she was still scared of how they'd feel about her. The topic was still sore on their minds. Well, most of their minds. Applejack had taken the news well, and Thorax's appearance had softened the others thoughts towards Changelings a bit. But it was still a possibility that they'd take it badly. How would she break it to them?

Just then, she heard someone enter the building, followed by Chuck's voice saying, "Pinkie? Are you there?"

Quickly changing back into her pony form, Pinkie Pie opened her bedroom door and called down, "I'm here! Give me a second! I'll be right down!"

Hesitating for only a brief moment, Pinkie Pie walked out of the room and shut the door as she joined Chuck downstairs. As a result, she was completely unaware that her reflection in the mirror had not disappeared since she left. Instead, it looked around to make sure the coast was clear and then transformed into a reflection of TD in his pony form.

"Well, it's been awhile since I've used that spell. Still got my touch!" The Lord of Chaos rattled off what he had gotten so far.

"Let's see, I got my evidence both in the form of an eyewitness report from Yours Truly, and from the video recording." He motioned to an pillow on Pinkie Pie's bed, which hid a camera from his world. "Now, I just need to confront her. I'll wait until after her party for me tomorrow. That way, I'll still be in a reasonably good mood and able to handle it easier."

TD disappeared without a sound, taking his camera with him and leaving Chuck and Pinkie Pie alone.

* * *

"SURPRISE!" an entire crowd of ponies shouted in union as TD walked into Sugarcube Corner the next day. Even though he had expected the party to be hosted there, TD was still genuinely surprised. Pinkie Pie wasn't joking when she said that she'd invite everypony in town. By now, everypony in Ponyville had gotten used to him, no matter what form he was in. It was a good thing too, because he had changed into his Changeling form unintentionally when they surprised him. TD smiled at all of his good friends that stood before him. Even Chuck was there, having forgiven TD for his past deeds.

"Aww, you guys! You shouldn't have!"

There were all kinds of entertainment that Pinkie Pie had provided, delicious food, and even a dance floor and karaoke machine. How Pinkie Pie had managed to get those in there without magic was beyond him, but he wasn't about to complain. Needless to say, TD had a great time. Although, while he enjoyed most of the songs played at the party, he couldn't resist showing the Equestrians some of the songs from his own world. When it was nearing the end, TD walked up to the karaoke machine and spoke into the mike.

"Thank you all for doing this for me, even if the party's a bit overdue." *laughter from everyone* "To finish this off, I'd like to sing an old classic from my world, modified a bit for you guys. It's supposed to be a holiday song, but I still like to sing it even when the holidays are over. It reminds me that the future isn't set in stone, and no matter your origins you can become who you want to be. Hit it!"

The karaoke machine started up and TD started singing.

 _[Chorus] Put one hoof in front of the other, and soon you are walking 'cross the floor!_

 _Put one hoof in front of the other, and soon you are walking out the door!_

 _You never will get where you're going if you never get up on your feet!  
_ _C'mon! There's a good tail wind blowing!  
_ _A fast walking stallion is hard to beat!_

 _*chorus*_

 _If you want to change your direction, if your time of life is at hand,  
_ _Well don't be the rule! Be the exception!  
_ _A good way to start is to stand!_

 _*chorus*_

 _If I want to change the reflection I see in the mirror each morn? (Oh, you do?)  
_ _You mean that it's just my election? (Just that!)  
_ _To vote for a chance to be reborn?! Whoo hoo!_

 _[Slower] You put one hoof in front of the other and soon you are walking 'cross the floor._

 _You put one hoof in front of the other and [normally] soon you are walking out the door!_

 _[Ending] Put one hoof in front of the other, and soon you are walking 'cross the floor!_

 _Put one hoof in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking out the door!_

TD honestly had a talented voice, and everypony loved his song. When he finished, everypony cheered and stomped their hooves in applause. TD smiled and bowed to the crowd before him. He felt great and was using this moment to enjoy himself while he still could.

Because tonight, he needed to have a serious conversation with Pinkie Pie.

* * *

After saying goodnight to everypony who had come to the party, Pinkie Pie finally found herself alone in the house. Chuck was with her too, but he had fallen fast asleep. Pinkie Pie knew that he normally didn't do this after a party without several hours passing first, so it was clear that someone had enchanted him.

"Sorry about Chuck, Pinkie Pie!" a voice said from nowhere. As she registered who had said that, TD suddenly appeared in front of her in his human form.

"TD?! What did you do to him?"

"Just a harmless sleeping spell," TD replied in reassurance, "He'll be out for awhile. I apologize for the inconvenience, but we need to talk."

Pinkie Pie was confused, but she had a sickening feeling that he knew something that she wasn't going to like. One suspicion was on her mind, but she couldn't be sure. Putting on an apologetic face, Pinkie Pie asked, "Oh, did I overdo the party? I should've known that you wouldn't like those games! I mean, after all you're a human, not a pony! I'm so sorry that it wasn't-"

"No! No no no!" TD interrupted, laughing a bit. "The party was great, Pinkie Pie! If anything, I had the time of my life! But," *serious again* "what I have to tell you is quite serious. That's why I waited until after the party while I was still in a good mood for the night."

TD closed his eyes and let out a sigh before he spoke again.

"Pinkie, I know your secret. I- I know that you're a Changeling."

Pinkie Pie was startled, but tried to talk out of it.

"Me? A Changeling? Ha ha ha! That's just silly! How could I possibly be-"

"You can drop the charades, Pinkie," TD said bluntly, "It's no good lying to me. Besides, I have proof that you're a Changeling."

At this, Pinkie Pie fell silent as TD continued.

"I...spied on you the night when that energy surge occurred between us. I saw everything. I also recorded it to make sure I wasn't dreaming. At first, it puzzled me because I normally can see right through Changeling disguises. But for some reason, I couldn't see through yours. I figured it out, however. Your Element, the Element of Laughter, it seems that the energy from it has placed up some kind of barrier that prevents me from seeing past it. I know what you are, but what I don't know is if you're a Changeling who replaced the real Pinkie Pie long ago or if you have been a Changeling from the start. That's why I came here."

TD looked his friend in the eyes, a gentle yet questioning expression on his face.

"Pinkie Pie, do you trust me?"

"Wh- what?" the pink pony was surprised that he was taking this so well. TD repeated his question.

"Do you trust me?"

Pinkie Pie was expecting him to do something drastic, but so far he had done nothing to harm her or reject her. Slowly, she nodded her head. When she did, TD placed a globe in between the two of them and spun it super fast. As it spun, it glowed brightly as TD's eyes turned white and his vision took him back in time...

 **About twenty years ago...**

Igneous Rock Pie opened the door to his cottage and squinted to try and make out anything in the dark. All appeared to be peaceful. Eerily peaceful. Unknowingly, he was staring straight at TD, who was in a ghostly version of his pony form. For this was one of many ways TD viewed past events. He almost felt like asking Igneous what was wrong, but he knew that Igneous couldn't see him or hear him. In his eyes, TD was invisible, as physical as air, and as silent as a grave.

Suddenly, a dark shape quickly moved out of the corner of TD's eye. Igneous had evidently noticed it too, as he took several steps outside in the direction that the figure had gone. It was no longer there, but Igneous was aware of something else. TD followed his gaze and stepped closer to get a better look. Several feet away from where he stood, a dark shape lay on the ground. It was more or less pony shaped. Igneous cautiously moved closer to the shape and realized with a start that it was a child, and a young one at that. Igneous was startled at its appearance, for he had never seen such a creature before in his life. TD simply smiled softly at the child, having already guessed who it was.

"What has thou found?" His wife, Cloudy Quartz, asked, her voice only shaking slightly as she looked anxiously towards her husband.

"It appears to be a child," Igneous said, the question having snapped him out of his shocked state. He scooped up the unconscious child with one hoof and walked back to his wife into the light, where his wife could see it better. Naturally, she gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. Unknown to them, TD moved closer until he was beside Cloudy Quartz to get a good view himself. The child was very young, with a midnight black coat, and tiny translucent pink wings on its back. A small tuft of pink sat atop its head along with a slightly curved ebony horn. The child was female and had an abundance of holes in its legs, hair, and tail.

This was a Changeling.

TD used his magic to fast forward time a bit. The Pie family took pity on the tiny Changeling, and without any other choice they raised her as their own. Lemon and Maud Pie were hesitant at first, but they gradually warmed up to her. The family wisely did not speak about her outside the family, for fear of might happen if others figured out their secret. They named the Changeling Pinkamina Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie for short. Not long after, Marble Pie was born and immediately adored by the young Pinkie Pie. As a filly, Pinkie Pie quickly grasped how to change her appearance into that of a pony to avoid attention. Her alter ego was similar to her original appearance, but pink instead of black and without the holes or wings.

TD watched her life carry on until the day that she saw the Sonic Rainboom performed by a young Rainbow Dash. He then smiled in satisfaction and disappeared from the picture entirely.

 **Present...**

TD's eyes returned to normal as the globe stopped spinning and disappeared with a bang. Literally. He was back in his human form and a saddened Pinkie Pie was standing in front of him. She no longer wore her disguise, but stood before him as her Changeling self. Tears were in her eyes as she spoke.

"It's all true. I tried keeping it a secret from the others because I was afraid of what they would think of me. But some time after the attack on Shining Armor's wedding, Applejack found out about it. She promised to keep it a secret from the others, but I haven't told them yet because they still hold some resentment towards Changelings, even with Thorax's appearance! They'd all think of me as a monster, and you probably do too! I- I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore. I just hope that you'll-"

TD interrupted Pinkie Pie by pulling her into a friendly embrace. Pinkie Pie was stunned by his response, but was even more in awe when he spoke again, still holding her tight.

"Oh, Pinkie! You really think that I care about what you are and how I'd feel about it? You're my friend, and true friends stick together no matter what. Besides, I'm not really a clean slate either. I don't care about what you are nor what you've done, but where you're going. I care about who you are and what kind of person you have become. And even as a Changeling, I see a good pony in your eyes and your heart, Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie Pie pulled out the embrace to look him in the eye and sniffed a bit.

"You- you really mean it?"

TD smiled. "Cross my heart, and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye."

Pinkie Pie hugged him again, bursting into tears of joy and relief as she buried her face into TD's shoulder. TD held her there for awhile, as she let it all out. His eyes were closed, but the caring and understanding smile never left his face. After Pinkie Pie had finished, TD pulled away to look her in the eye once again.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah," Pinkie replied, wiping away a tear.

"Good. Do you know what you must do?"

"I do, but I'm still kinda scared."

TD laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright. I'll be with you the whole way. And if I know anything about your friends, it's that they won't turn you away after you tell them. But even if all of Equestria turned their backs on you, I would still be there for you. Because that's what friends do."

Pinkie smiled in relief. "Thanks, TD. So, when should we tell them? And what about Chuckie?"

"I'll get them all together in the morning, Chuck included. For now, get some rest. And thanks again for the party."

TD snapped his fingers- actually, he couldn't snap his fingers; instead, he did a fake snapping motion and a sound effect for it was heard- and Chuck was teleported to his bedroom. TD then pulled a sheet out of nowhere and put it on top of himself. For a second, he stood there, then the sheet suddenly went limp and fell to the floor, indicating that he was gone.

* * *

The very next morning, Twilight sat up in her bed as she awoke to a familiar pair of draconic eyes staring at her.

"Do you realize how unsettling that is?" she asked, annoyed of his presence, but not necessarily creeped out.

"Well excuse me for thinking that you cute when you sleep and deciding not to wake you," TD said back. Then more seriously, "But that's not why I came."

"Then why did you barge into my room?"

"Gather Spike and the girls after breakfast today," the human said bluntly, "Pinkie Pie and I have something we want to tell you. Cya then!"

TD stood still as a giant pencil appeared out of nowhere and erased his image. The pencil then disappeared itself.

* * *

"Yo Chuck!" TD called as he entered the tavern, "Where are ya man?"

"I'm in my office." He replied, his voice slightly muffled from the closed door of said room. TD entered and found the pony in question.

"Hey man, do you have a moment? Pinkie and I have something we need to talk to you and the girls about," TD explained. "Or did she already tell you?"

"She already told me she ate the cheddar loaf bread I made for myself, if that's what this is about." He said, writing figures down on a piece of paper.

"That's a 'no' then," TD replied. "Come with me please. We need to get to the Castle."

"Alright." He shrugged, putting the paper away. "What's this about?"

"A secret she's kept since the day she was brought into the Pie family," TD replied mysteriously, before causing them both to teleport.

* * *

After Twilight and the rest of the girls had had their breakfast, they all gathered together in the training room that TD had installed earlier for Twilight's lessons. Chuck was present as well, along with Spike and the Cakes, who TD had decided to tell about the meeting. He felt that it was only fair for them to know too, as Pinkie Pie worked for them and often did foalsitting for them too. Applebloom was present too, after TD had figured out that she was involved in the secret too. TD stood before them all in his human form with Pinkie Pie beside him. Applejack looked on with only a hint of worry in her eye. TD had informed her ahead of time what the meeting was about, in secret.

"I'm sure that most of you are wondering why you're here. Well, Pinkie Pie has a secret that she has been keeping from you since she first met you."

A silence filled the room, tempting TD to make some chirping crickets appear. He restrained himself and continued.

I discovered her secret last night- or, rather, I confirmed my suspicions. We've already worked it out with each other and agreed that she shouldn't keep it secret any longer. One of you already knows this secret, but has faithfully kept quiet about it for Pinkie Pie's sake."

Applejack stiffened at this, but TD gave her a subtle glance, reassuring her that he wouldn't turn her in unless she wanted to.

"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked, "what does he mean by that?"

Pinkie Pie was nervous and it was clear to see. Seeing this, TD placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder and she relaxed a bit. Taking a deep breath, Pinkie Pie spoke.

"What I told you guys about me being Marble's fraternal twin was only part true. In truth, I was adopted in a sense."

Everyone gasped a bit, except for Spike who shouted prematurely, "I knew something didn't add up!" Everyone glared at him and he immediately went silent, especially since TD's glare made it look as if he was going to attack Spike. Pinkie Pie continued.

"The truth is, I wasn't born into the Pie family. In fact, I'm not even a real pony."

Pinkie was engulfed in pink flames and her Changeling features were revealed. Everypony gasped in surprise, though it was unclear who was affected the most. Only Applejack and Applebloom hadn't reacted.

"This has to be farthest from the plutheral of things I expected." Chuck thought to himself, his face not saying much in regards to how he felt. TD was standing beside Pinkie in a subtle manner as he stared at the group before him, yet anyone who knew him could tell that he was ready to defend Pinkie Pie if he had to. Finally, after what seemed forever, Rainbow Dash was the one who spoke.

"Wait a minute! What happened to the real Pinkie Pie?" she demanded. Normally, she would've attacked as soon as she had overcome her shock, but with TD standing beside the Changeling, even Rainbow Dash was smart enough to realize how futile a move that would be.

"The Changeling before you and the Pinkie Pie we know and love are one and the same," TD explained, earning another round of confused looks or exclamations, "She never was replaced; she is and always has been a Changeling."

"You lied to me, huh?" Chuck asked, his brows pointed inward in an angry expression, walking over. "You know what I think of that?" He asked.

"Chuck, clam down." Applejack instructed.

"No!" He turned to her. "I think she needs to know how I feel about that." He said equally as sternly before his face shifted into a more gentle expression. "How I feel about that is... I understand. You were scared, anyone else would be. I certainly know I would be. But, just know, no matter what you are, I love you just the same." He said to Pinkie, hugging her gently. She smiled and hugged him back tightly. Applejack smiled when she realized that nothing bad was gonna happen.

"Glad ya finally came out Pinkie," she said.

"You knew?!" Rairity shouted dramatically, earning a glare from TD.

"Eyup," Applejack replied bluntly, "Ah figured out by accident after the multi-Pinkie incident. She made me Pinkie Promise not to tell ya until she was ready. Ah just didn't think it'd take this long."

"She's not the only one who knew," Applebloom spoke up, walking beside her sister, "All of us knew. Big Mac, Granny Smith... pretty much all of the Apples know by now."

Rarity started to stumble backwards, until TD said sharply, "If you pretend to faint, I'm gonna personally wake you with a cold bucket of water."

This stopped her and she looked back to Pinkie Pie.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner, darling?" she asked Pinkie Pie.

"That's a pretty stupid question." Chuck said bluntly, earning a smack from Applejack.

"It wouldn't have been a good idea!" Pinkie explained. "Especially not after Shining and Cadence's wedding, once I saw how you all felt about Chrysalis and her Changelings... I wasn't sure of what you'd all think of me..."

"That's... actually understandable," Twilight agreed.

"Um... so does this change anything?" Fluttershy asked.

"The way I see it," TD answered, "This only changes things between you guys if you make it that way. The choice is yours alone to make..."

There was silence for another period of time, then Mr. and Mrs. Cake stepped forward.

"I don't see much harm in it," Mr. Cake said, "She hasn't done anything to harm us, and the twins would be awful lonely without you, Pinkie Pie."

"And who else would help with the deliveries or babysitting?" Mrs. Cake added.

"And it would be awfully shallow of me to think any different of you just because you look a little different." Chuck added. "Nothing's changed in my eyes."

Everyone agreed and came over to Pinkie, one at a time for a group hug. Rainbow Dash was the last one to come up, as she still had to think it over.

"Well... I guess you haven't changed either way," Rainbow reasoned aloud, "Besides," she added with a smile, "it'll be pretty cool! Double the fun, and the pranks!"

They all embraced each other in a large group hug, all but TD and Twilight who simply looked on. TD smiled and sat down, which almost put himself down on Twilight's level.

"It's beautiful, no?" he asked.

"Yes, it is." Twilight agreed, turning to him. She then unexpectedly threw her front hooves around him in a hug of her own, startling the Lord of Chaos.

"Thank you, William" she whispered into his ear, calling him by his real name. "Thank you for helping Pinkie Pie and the rest of us with this."

TD slowly recovered and returned the hug, closing his eyes and smiling as he did. Even so, he couldn't help but notice Twilight's wings spread out and embrace him in their own manner too. It was unexpected and new, but he wasn't going to complain. In truth, her wings felt soft and soothing against his face. Suddenly, TD felt his heart pounding hard in his chest as he sat there with the Alicorn in his arms. He didn't know why his heart was beating so fast or why he was suddenly aware of so many details that he hadn't noticed before with Twilight. All that he did know was that he almost didn't want this to end.

He partly wished that this embrace would last forever.

* * *

 **Finally! Another chapter off the checklist! I honestly didn't think it would get this long, but I'm glad that I did it! Like and review if you want to!**

 **Song used:"Put One Foot in Front of the Other" from _Santa Clause is Coming to Town._**

 **The scene(s) used for Pinkie Pie's past are an edited version of the same scene(s) in _Hikaru the Jinx_ 's story "Changeling Heart".**

 **I said this in chapter two or three, but I'm trying an experiment where I add in other OC's to my story. That's how Chuck ended up in this story. In case anyone is wondering, the offer still stands and will continue to stand until this series is officially ended. If you have an OC of your own that you'd like to see in my story or if you know of someone else's OC who you like, then send me a PM on that OC titled "OC Character(s). In that message, include the name, age, and description of the character; including their story of how they came to Equestria (whether born there or not), their general occupation in Equestria, and their love interest if any. I will select the top two or three that I like most and will place them in my story, along with credit given to the people who suggested them. Warning: I cannot guarantee that your OC (or OC's) will play any major role in my story or if yours in particular will make it in. Also, for obvious reasons, I will not select any OC's that are in a relationship with a character who is already in a relationship with someone else in my story (Twilight and Pinkie Pie are off limits, in other words). Other than that, knock yourselves out! Not literally, though.**

 **Thanks for reading! Thanks for your support! Again, hope y'all enjoyed! I'll be seeing you in the next chapter. Goodbye!**


	10. TD to the Rescue (For once?)

**Here it comes! Yet another chapter coming up! This time, TD ends up having to save virtually all of Ponyville from a certain Changeling Queen.**

 **Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings sat upon her dark throne within her hive, brooding over her plans of conquering the Equestrians. She had several plans that she planned on using, but today she had decided to use a special transformation spell that she had been saving for a rainy day. Chrysalis smiled wickedly at her idea. Finally, Twilight and her friends would be completely powerless against her and there was nothing that could stop her now!

Chrysalis called some guards over to her and explained the plan.

* * *

TD was normally the kind that was willing to shrug off a few things that were out of place. He could understand not running into anyone downstairs after teleporting inside the Castle, the absence of Spike's snores, or even the unlocked door to Twilight's bedroom. But TD knew something was terribly wrong when he found Twilight's room completely empty that day. He knew for a fact that it had nothing to do with her waking up early, because it was still way too early for her wake up call, even her early wake up call. TD also noticed that the Castle of Friendship was eerily quiet. That in and of itself screamed "not good". TD did a quick teleportation to every room in the Castle to make sure that nopony was hiding away somewhere, then hit himself over the head with a frying pan to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Considering how much it hurt when he did that, it was enough to tell him that something was very wrong. TD teleported outside the Castle to see if anypony else had an idea of what had happened to them. Only to find that the streets of Ponyville were unusually quiet and empty as well. All the houses were completely deserted and not a soul was in sight.

A sudden cry of surprise was heard in the direction of Chuck's Tavern. Turning to look, TD saw what appeared to be Twilight running over to him in surprise and worry. No, not Twilight. A Changeling. And not the friendly kind. Luckily for TD, because he was in his pony form, he had the element of surprise on his side. The Changeling came over to him and asked, "Excuse me sir, but do you know what has happened here? I just returned from Canterlot and-"

Before the Changeling could finish, TD used his magic to pin the Changeling to the wall of a nearby house and stripped his disguise from him in a snap. TD removed his sunglasses and stared angrily at the Changeling. The Changeling trembled in fear as TD growled in anger, his draconic eyes glowing menacingly in the early morning light.

"Where. Is. Twilight?"

When the Changeling didn't respond, TD's horn glowed bright and the Changeling started to writhe around in pain and agony.

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

"You're *groan* too late! By tomorrow, Queen Chrysalis will have drained them all of their love. Sorry that you *grunt* came all this way for nothing!"

TD growled again, sounding very much like an enraged dragon. He used his magic to peer into the mind of the Changeling forcefully, but found nothing that gave away Chrysalis's plan. Apparently, she had at least been smart enough to not reveal everything to this drone. In frustration and rage, TD's horn glowed brighter and the Changeling grabbed at its throat, gasping for air. After a short while, the Changeling finally ceased to struggle and fell to the ground limp. TD huffed and puffed for a few minutes, trying to regain his composure and recollect his thoughts. Obviously, all of the citizens of Ponyville had been abducted by Chrysalis in their sleep or early this morning, but he just didn't know how. There had to be someone that she overlooked, but where would he look? TD used a "detect life" Shout and found that at least three other living creatures could be seen inside Chuck's Tavern. He wasn't sure if it was a friend or foe yet, but it was worth checking out. TD trotted to the door of the tavern, saving his magic energy for any possible encounter. Inside the tavern, it was rather dark still, but TD's draconic eyes allowed him to see in the low lighting, as they glowed in their intimidating fashion as he peered around. He found that a struggle of some kind had occurred. Tables and chairs were overturned or broken, shattered glass lay on the floor along with spilled drinks, and a mysterious stain was seen on the corner of the counter. TD sniffed it and confirmed that it was blood; Changeling blood to be precise. The Chout had worn off, but TD could still sense three pony figures within the tavern. One of them was strong yet unstable, possibly a baby unicorn. There was a second energy that felt familiar, but he couldn't remember exactly how for the time being. He couldn't sense their exact locations, but he knew that they were at least inside the tavern and hadn't left yet.

Just then, TD saw movement in the corner of his eye in the form of a dark figure. Without second thought, he quickly turned and used a blast of magic to pin the figure in place. Only then did he get a good look at it. It was another Changeling, this time female, but what stayed TD's hand was the pink mane that could be seen atop its head and the pink wings that sprouted from its back.

"Pinkie Pie?"

"Yes?" the Changeling answered.

"Is that really you? Hold on, I need to be sure."

TD's horn glowed softly for a moment and his eyes turned white, before reverting back to normal. TD then smiled in satisfaction and set his friend down.

"Sorry, Pinkie! I had to make sure that you weren't a bad Changeling."

"It's okay! I thought that _you_ were a bad Changeling too! But no Changeling can pull off that kind of magic, not even Chrysalis!"

"Well, I'm glad that we were both wrong. Who are the two with you? I sensed their presence before coming here."

Pinkie Pie turned to the back of the tavern and called out, "It's okay you two! This one's a friend. You can come out now."

On que, two young pony children crawled out of hiding, a pegasus colt and a unicorn filly. TD immediately recognized them as Pumpkin and Pound Cake, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Cake. TD was relieved to find that at least somepony had survived the attack, but he still needed answers.

"Pinkie, what happened here?"

He almost regretted asking, because Pinkie Pie suddenly ran up to him and crushed him in a big bear hug. She started crying as she spoke, having apparently been holding back her sorrow until now.

"It was terrible! Chrysalis's Changelings all attacked from every direction. Mr. and Mrs. Cake gave me their children and told me to run. Chuck followed me here as well and we barricaded ourselves in here. But they broke in anyways. Chuck kept them distracted while I hid Pumpkin and Pound Cake, but he was soon overwhelmed! I didn't know what to do, so I disguised myself as one of them. They didn't notice me, but- oh, TD! They have turned him into a cow!"

TD almost laughed when he heard that last part, but the emotional situation he was in plus the seriousness in Pinkie's voice stopped him from doing so. Besides, he was interested in the spell that Chrysalis had evidently used. A transformation spell, he thought to himself. Where would Chrysalis have located that? More importantly, why? Pinkie's sobs snapped him out of his train of thought, so he wrapped his hooves around her and tried to comfort her.

"It's okay. Obviously, he's still alive so they must be taking him to the Hive."

"But, what if they kill him there? What if he can't escape? What if-"

"Don't worry, Pinkie Pie," TD said reassuringly, though his eyes were filled with anger, making them glow more menacingly. "I'm going to get them all back if it's the last thing I do! Stay here with the twins. I'll be back as soon as I can. But just in case, I'll give you a password should they come back posing as me. When I come back, say to me, 'What is the music of life?' The proper response is, 'Silence, my sister.' Got it?"

Pinkie Pie nodded as TD released her. He then disappeared in a flash of light, leaving only a bundle of toys for the twins, as well as food and extra diapers.

* * *

Back in the Changeling kingdom, Chrysalis was busy overlooking the swarm of Equestrians that poured through the hive, each and every one of them turned into mindless cattle. She laughed as they were all corralled into a large room that had been set aside specifically for them. All she would have to do was wait for the spell to wear off, then the ponies would be completely defenseless. It was such a shame that she couldn't cancel the spell early, but Chrysalis was willing to accept what victories she had obtained. She laughed wickedly as her Changelings assembled before her.

"Soon, my children! Soon, we will drain all of the love from these ponyfolk and sustain our kind for decades to come! Seal off all the exits and place a guard up. Make sure not one of them escapes!"

The Changelings scurried about to carry out their orders. Chrysalis lounged on her black throne in satisfaction of her work. It wouldn't be long now before she had her revenge...

* * *

TD stood at the edge of the cliff in his human form, overlooking the Changeling Hive in the distance. He could see the Changelings buzzing about in a busy manner, suggesting that Chrysalis had given them some various tasks to perform. TD took a deep breath and levitated into the air. He flew towards the hive, but suddenly found himself falling to the ground as a huge surge of energy left his body abruptly, leaving him without magic.

"Yikes!" TD screeched, barely grabbing the ledge in time. He pulled himself back up on the cliff and stared at the Hive.

"What was that?! Why did it- oh, right. The throne. Apparently, even my magic isn't immune to it. But how will I save them now? Without magic, I might as well turn myself in without a fight."

TD pondered on this for a minute or two, thinking up various plans in his head. Suddenly, a smile crept on his face.

"The Tiki magic uses any magic available in the area if I can't rely on my own sources. If my theory is correct, then it should work..." He stepped cautiously to the edge of the cliff again. Taking a deep breath, he transformed his figure into a Tiki from the Tik Tak Tribe (DKCR reference) and floated in midair. He then slowly flew forward. Nothing happened.

"Yes! It worked! Alright, so I can only use Tiki magic or music-related magic at least. Alright, let me focus all my energy into the Tiki magic..."

TD floated outside the throne's area of effect, regaining his full strength, then his eyes closed momentarily as he redirected all his energy into his musical Mumbo Jumbo. He then flew towards the Changeling Hive. Naturally, he was stopped by a group of patrolling Changelings who were not happy to see him. TD's eyes turned into spirals and an ancient spirit-themed song was heard playing from him. The Changelings suddenly stopped charging him and instead stared at him in a daze, their minds completely under his control.

"Good sirs, do you think that you could please lead me to the cattle pen? I have a gift for your Queen that I think is long overdue."

* * *

Chrysalis stood in front of the herd of cattle in front of her, as she thought up of different ways she could torture Twilight Sparkle when the spell wore off.

"First, I'll have her watch each and every one of her friends be drained one by one. Then, I'll keep her just conscious enough to witness my minions replace them in Equestria. Then I'll kill her!"

"Or," a strange voice interrupted from the darkness. Chrysalis turned in surprise at the intruder, who was none other than TD himself. TD continued.

"Perhaps you should stop acting like a little dog wagging its tail and think for a moment!"

"How'd you get in here?!" Chrysalis angrily hissed.

"Oh, it's simple," TD said casually, his image changing into Mother Gothel from _Tangled_. "I just followed the sound of complete and utter betrayal, and it brought me here." As if on que, TD's hypnotized Changelings steped out of the shadows and stood beside him. "Sorry missssstressss!" one of them said sleepily, "he was too strong!"

"Yes, yes! I'm great. Now, go to sleep!"

The Changelings did as they were told and fell to the ground in a heap. Chrysalis was stunned.

"Impossible! Magic can't work in here!"

"Unlike some people, I look for loopholes! And luckily for me, I happened to find one that I could use here in the Hive."

Suddenly, music could be heard playing from nowhere as TD smiled and sang a little song.

 **TD:** _Now listen up!_

 _There are crooks in this here West, who have claimed to be the best, and they think they wrote the book on how to rustle._

Chrysalis attempted a lunge at TD, but he easily stepped aside causing her to smack into a wall. Her horn got embedded into the wall and she struggled to free herself.

 _ **TD:** Well as good as they may be, not a one's as good as me, and I barely have to move a single muscle!_

 _They call me mean, boys! Depraved and nasty too, and they ain't seen, boys, the cruelest thing I do!_

By now, a large group of unhypnotized Changelings had appeared and they all charged TD from every direction. TD simply looked at the cattle and continued.

 _You see, I Yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oo! The sweetest way of rustling yet devised!_

 _'Cause when Yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oo, why lookie how them cows get hypnotized!_

As soon as TD started the yodeling part of the song, a series of colorful music notes and shockwaves shot from his mouth and knocked back all of the Changelings. At the same time, every single cattle in the room got a hypnotized look and started dancing around, occasionally dancing with TD himself. As TD continued, three pony clones of himself appeared and acted as backing vocalists.

 **Clones:** _He don't prod. He don't yell. Still he drives them doggies well! Which aren't easy when your chaps are labeled XXXXL!_

 **TD:** _Yes, if you're looking from a bovine point of view, I sure can yodel-adle-eedle-idle, yodel-adle-eedle-idle, yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oooo!_

"Hang on, girls! We're getting outta here on the ASAP!"

As TD continued to yodel, the cattle/ponies started following him out of the Changeling hive. Under normal circumstances, the hive would constantly shift and change, but while TD was singing, it seemed only to change when he willed it. And so far, he was making a straight path out of the hive. Most of Chrysalis's Changelings that remained tried to attack him were either thrown back by his voice and rendered useless. Finally, as TD was nearing the exit, Chrysalis managed to get herself free.

 **TD:** _Yes I can yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oo!_

 **Clones:** _A sound that cattle truly take to heart!_

"No!" Chrysalis shouted.

 **TD:** _Yeah, I can yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oo! And smack my big ol' rump if that ain't art!_

 **Clones:** _He don't rope! Not a chance! He just puts them in a trance! He's a pioneer pied-piper in ten gallon underpants!_

TD reached the large exit that he had created and watched as the rest of the cattle made it through. He noticed Chrysalis make an enraged snarl and charge towards him. An evil grin appeared on his face.

 **TD:** _Yep! I'm the real rip-roarin' deal of those who moo, thanks to my yodel-adle-eedle-idle, yodel-adle-eedle-idle, I've got cattle out the ol' wazoo! Hehe!_

 _'Cause I can yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oooo!_

 _Yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oo!_

TD pulled a pair of spurs from out of nowhere and threw them at a precarious rock formation above the exit. The rocks fell down towards Chrysalis, who was almost about to reach the arch. Just when she was a n arm's reach from TD, the rocks fell on top of her and a great pile of dust rose up. TD waited until the dust settled before inspecting the damage. Chrysalis was still alive, but only her head showed above the rubble that pinned her in place. She hissed at TD and shouted, "You little brat! When I get out of here, I'll make you feel pain like you can't even conceive of!"

"You mean IF you get out. I could just kill off the rest of your Changelings before they regain consciousness and leave you to die here. Tempting, but cruel. So quit your whining! Your guards will soon be around to help you out, and what wounds you've sustained will eventually heal. Cheery-o! I've got to get these guys back where they belong."

TD started walking off, but before he had gone far, he seemed to change his mind and walked back to her. A dark expression was on his face.

"Something brought you to find that spell, Chrysalis. Call it what you will, I've decided to trust that you won't attempt to pursue us when we leave."

"A terrible idea, by the way! Even your friends would agree-"

"But trust me when I say this!"

TD grabbed Chrysalis by her horn and pulled her face close to him. Chrysalis attempted to use her magic, but her horn sputtered and did nothing as TD's own magic canceled out her attack. However, what scared her more was the expression on TD's face. It looked as if he planned on murdering her, which he was actually tempted to do.

"If you ever harm my friends again, I will personally hunt you down until I have turned every last one of you into piles of ashes! I will personally see to it that your death in particular is slow and painful! Oh, and if you ever make any allies, let them know that _anyone_ who threatens my friends will suffer the full wrath of the Terror of Dimensions! UNDERSTAND!?"

Chrysalis nodded weakly in fear. TD's darker mood disappeared.

"Excellent! Now then, I must be going! Remember, you've been warned..."

TD walked off back towards Ponyville with the large herd of cattle, leaving Chrysalis to wait until her minions woke up from their unconscious states.

* * *

Pinkie Pie was feeling nervous. Two hours had passed, and still nothing. She was starting to feel like TD had been captured by the Changelings. But then, she saw a human figure walking ahead of a herd of cattle. Pinkie Pie was overjoyed, but remembered the possibility that it was a trick. Calmly, Pinkie Pie trotted towards TD and waited until he had gotten closer.

"What is the music of life?"

Pinkie Pie waited patiently for an answer. TD smiled and replied, "Silence, my sister."

Relieved that it was truly her friend, Pinkie Pie embraced TD, still in her Changeling form. TD returned the hug before pulling away and saying in a serious tone, "I'd suggest that you turn back into your pony form. I'm gonna reverse the spell on them. From what it sounds, they won't have any memory of what occurred."

"Ooo! Maybe we can trick them into doing something for us because they won't remember anything!" Pinkie Pie suggested, as she reverted back to her pony form.

TD chuckled. "We could, but I think they've been through enough. Besides, you don't want Chuck to get the wrong impression, do you?"

"Eh, you got me there!"

TD smiled and then pulled out a wand of some kind. He chanted a _Screenjunkies_ parody of an old spell he had heard back in his world:

"Blurpity blurp, a derpity derp! A blibbity blabbity blunk! Anything rhymes if you make up the words, zippity zappity, flippity flappity, these writers clearly were drunk!"

A magic aura surrounded the cattle and reverted them back to their pony selves. Everypony groaned and held their heads as they looked around. When TD saw Twilight, he almost burst with joy.

"William? What happened?" Twilight asked in a confused voice.

"Long story short: Chrysalis came back, turned y'all into cows using some kind of spell she found, and captured you. Luckily, I was able to catch on rather quickly and saved you. And the reason why you can't remember? She. You're welcome!"

Twilight was confused at this, but glad that he had saved them. She asked one more question, "But why would you save me? Wouldn't that have been a perfect time for you to take over Equestria?"

"Where's the fun in taking over a world when the saviors of said world aren't there to stop ya? Besides, I would never let anything bad happen to you. Not on my watch!"

Twilight smiled in satisfaction at this answer and gave TD a hug. TD accepted the hug, taking in the relief of having her safely back home.

No one would harm her ever again! Not if he had anything to say about it. Besides, if anyone was going to take Equestria from her, it'd be him.

That is, IF he ever decided to be the villain again.

* * *

 **Edit: Forgot to do ending note AND credit of song to proper owner!**

 **Song used: Yodel-adle-eedle-idle-oo, from _Home on the Range_. Property of Disney.**


	11. A Major Problem

**Uploading chapters is hard! But I just keep trudging along! Big thanks to** ** _Admirer Boy_** **,** ** _impressionsguy_** **, and everyone else who continues to support me!**

 ** _Demon Wolf Alpha_ , thank you for your patience! Your OC has finally made an appearance!**

 **Just a heads up: in this AU, Twilight once dated somepony, but said stallion kinda broke her heart. As a result, she is always hesitant to talk about it. In this, she and Flash Sentry aren't going to be paired up (in case it wasn't already obvious). Honestly, I don't know why the two are shipped together. Flash has little to no screen time in the show and the most he and Twilight see of each other is when they literally bump into each other by accident. No offense to anyone out there who's into the TwilightxFlash shipping, I just don't feel like it's going anywhere.**

 **For anyone who knows what almost happened to Twilight because you get the message, I pray that it never happens to you. For those that have experienced that kind of thing personally or maybe someone close to you has experienced it, you have my heartfelt sympathies. Seriously, I feel bad for people that go through that. It's not right and it shouldn't have to happen to anyone.**

* * *

Far, far away from pony civilization lived a country filled with the terrible creatures known as Ursa Majors. They were bear-like creatures that had a skin that made them look like they were made up of a star-filled sky. Ursa Majors stood about twenty-plus feet high and were known to be very dangerous if provoked. Luckily, they were usually peaceful by nature, so the ponyfolk had not experienced any serious trouble from them.

Until tonight.

* * *

A dark shadowy form traveled through the lands of the Ursa Majors, seemingly searching for something interesting. The cloud of darkness finally found its target: the largest Ursa Major to be found in the barren lands that they lived in. It seeped into the creature's mind, possessing it and taking control. The Ursa Major stood up and opened its eyes. Green pupils shone through a smokey trail that lined each eye and fangs appeared in its mouth. The Ursa Major smiled and spoke in a dark voice.

"Finally! After all this time, I will have my revenge! Those ponies will be sorry that they ever messed with me! But first, I'll need an army."

The Dark Ursa Major turned to look out at the land before it, where others of its vessel could be seen. A wicked grin appeared on his face.

"And where else to find an army than right here?"

 **Meanwhile...**

Somewhere deep in the storm that surrounded the Crystal Empire, a single source of energy could be seen deep in a solitary cave. It was the ghost of some kind of male alicorn. He was a story spoken only in whispers or around the camp fires at night as a scary ghost story. He was called the "Ghost of Equestria", a legend that was almost as old as the fable of the Headless Horse. Few knew of his origins or past life, and that said few kept it secret from others. Currently, the ghost was in a peaceful state, almost like a deep sleep (if sleep was possible for a ghost). Suddenly, the alicorn opened his eyes in alarm. He had just felt a great disturbance, one that he had hoped was gone for good.

"Oh no! He's back!" the alicorn said in alarm.

"My father is back!"

* * *

TD and Twilight were enjoying each other's company at one of their favorite meeting places. After spending a large portion of their meeting times in the Castle of Friendship, they had both agreed to try a more private location. Since other ponies would occasionally picnic outside of Ponyville, TD and Twilight chose a spot quite close to the Everfree Forest; indeed, it was close enough for dangerous creatures to appear and attack, but none ever did. Twilight wasn't exactly sure what he did, but TD had told her that he had basically sent any and all hostile creatures a message that warned them to keep their distance. Considering the fact that even dragons feared TD, it wasn't too surprising that the creatures of the Everfree complied. Twilight smiled as TD set up a picnic basket on the ground, but was surprised when a bear in a hat and necktie appeared out of nowhere, snatched the basket, and made a beeline for the Everfree. "Run for it, Boo Boo!" the bear shouted as a smaller bear poked its head out from behind a tree to watch. Upon hearing the bigger bear's statement, he ran off saying in a seemingly depressed voice, "I'm running Yogi!" It was actually somewhat hilarious to watch them attempt to escape, as Yogi ended up tripping and bumping into just about everything on his way out. Sadly, he never made it. TD had decided that his little joke was going a little too far and caused the two bears to disappear with a "poof". He then returned the picnic basket to its original location. Twilight may have been surprised at the little antic, but she couldn't help letting out a chuckle before the two bears had disappeared.

"Who were those guys?"

"Yogi Bear and his buddy Boo Boo. Classics back in my world! I guess you could say that they are movie stars. They made a big hit series of their various misadventures in the park that they resided in. It was quite popular back in its day, and even today some people still remember them and how hilarious they could be together."

"They lived in a park? Isn't that a little dangerous?"

"Not really, because of three reasons. First, Yogi and Boo Boo were generally quite harmless towards humans, unless you counted them snatching picnic baskets; secondly, this 'park' was more like a large area set aside for them to live in, yet people could visit the place to see them if they desired; and finally, they constantly had a ranger keeping watch over them to make sure that they behaved. The ranger was kinda like a guard keeping the peace in a sense."

The two set down the picnic basket and pulled out the refreshments. Twilight had brought a few cucumber sandwiches, and TD had brought some lemonade. He also provided a blanket to sit on. The two of them sat down on the blanket and had some friendly conversation with each other while they ate. TD had arrived in his Changeling form, but he had turned into his human form at Twilight's "request". And by request, Twilight in truth practically forced him into it. TD didn't care, however. Any form was good enough for him. As they sat in silence for awhile, Twilight remembered something.

"I have a secret to tell you."

TD had a feeling that she didn't, but still obliged to bringing himself closer to her. Even so, he was surprised when Twilight blasted him with her magic and sent him flying into a lake nearby. TD quickly resurfaced and dried off in a flash, just in time to hear Twilight's remark.

"You were late today!"

"Is that all? Look, I'm sorry about that! Pinkie Pie kinda wouldn't let me leave at first. How she's able to subdue me into submission with nothing but her Fourth Wall breaking and no magic is beyond me!"

"You really think I'm gonna believe that?"

"It's the truth! Cross my heart and hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye! Better?"

Twilight finally settled down, but not before saying, "Next time, don't be late!"

TD laughed. "Consider myself warned!"

They were silent for awhile, so TD started the conversations again with a question.

"Twilight, have you ever had anyone...special in your life?"

"Huh?"

"You know, a crush? Someone who you thought you'd be together with? It was the first question that popped up in my head."

Twilight was silent for a bit before saying, "I don't want to talk about it. I'm...feeling a little tired right now."

"Really? That excuse?"

"Excuse? What do you mean? I just said that I'm-"

"Twi, stop. I know that excuse- don't ask me how I know; all I'll say is that I've known before coming to Equestria and without getting info from Cadence. You use this excuse when something is bugging you that you don't want to talk about. Look, if you don't want to talk about it, fine. Just know that I'm ready to listen."

Twilight still remained silent, her face turned away from TD. TD wasn't sure if she was still reluctant or not, so he said in a gentler tone, "I know that you often put on a positive face whenever you are in public or with your friends, but you don't have to do it around me."

Suddenly, Twilight turned back to him and buried her face into his shoulder, sobbing. TD was confused at first, but not for long. Some time ago, he had explained to Twilight that Chaos magic was usually in tune with the emotions of the user, or at times it could show the emotions of others. As soon as Twilight made contact with him, TD saw what had happened through a flashback.

Twilight had once dated a stallion, a pony who seemed like a nice guy. Everything had been great and she had been happy. Until the night where he broke her heart. Twilight had still been rather young, too naive to realize what he truly wanted from her. TD thankfully didn't have to see much, but what little he did see implied what the stallion had attempted to do to her. Because of this, Twilight had gone silent, refusing to talk about it to anyone. Even her best friends. The secret was intended to die with her, yet she had revealed it to TD willingly out of trust. It flattered him a bit. Did she really trust him that much to reveal this willingly?

TD gently hugged the alicorn princess in a comforting way, stroking her mane in a gentle manner. Twilight didn't object, but instead hugged him back as she continued to sob. Her wings spread out over him as well, embracing him with their feathery touch. TD couldn't help but notice that she only ever used such a gesture on him, and usually only when they were alone. He wasn't one to complain about it, though and he wasn't going to pry. He continued to stroke her mane as he whispered to her in a comforting tone. Her head was leaning against his in a way, allowing her to easily hear what he had to say.

"It's okay. Just let it all out, Twi. There you go. Just let it out."

Twilight obliged to these words. She had not said anything yet, but TD correctly guessed that she knew what he saw. Because of that, no words were necessary. TD felt some anger towards that stallion. How dare he do this to her! She was still young then, still naive to that kind of stuff. TD really hated those kind of guys. The teenaged men and up who decided to take advantage of girls her age and younger. It sickened him to think that such people existed. TD was glad that the stallion had died some time ago, because he was afraid of what he would've done if he ever ran into him personally. All he knew was that Twilight wouldn't have liked to see it.

After a while, Twilight stopped sobbing and looked into TD's eyes. Their faces were quite close to each other; in fact, TD's forehead was touching hers. Twilight composed herself enough to say, "Thank you, William. You- you're the first and only somepony that I've ever revealed this to."

"No problem, Twi. That's what I'm here for. I'm so sorry that he tried to- well, you know. You deserved better than that. You deserve a stallion who won't take advantage of you like that."

"But, how do I know that it won't end the same way?"

"Anypony who would do that to you doesn't deserve your love. Twilight, I don't know who your special somepony will be, for I can't see all of the future. But I do possess some form of foresight, and what I can tell you is this: whoever that someone is, pony or no pony, I know that he will be the right one, and that you will find both love and great happiness with him. As to keeping that from happening again, I guess that's all up to you."

"But I'm so scared to try again! What if I mess it all up? What if somepony tries that again? Wait..." Twilight pulled away slightly. "You wouldn't-"

"No!" TD said, horrified by such an idea. "No, no! I'm not that kind of guy! Such things, it's not me. Especially what he tried to do to you. It's heartless, selfish, and cruel! In truth, it sickens me to know that such people exist! Twilight, I don't really understand the pain you're going through, but I can at least reassure you about myself. I promise you, I will NEVER hurt you the way he hurt you that night."

"You- *sniff*- you mean it?"

"With all my heart."

Twilight smiled contently as she returned into the embrace, knowing that she was safe in the arms of one whom she trusted. TD may have been questionable for most ponies, even after his reformation, but Twilight trusted him with her life.

And TD was not willing to betray that trust for as long as he lived.

* * *

The Dark Ursa Major sighed in satisfaction. Finally, he had his army. It hadn't been easy, subduing each of them one by one and using a powerful spell to keep them under his willpower. But the end results were definitely worth the wait. The Dark Ursa Major addressed the army before him.

"Tonight, we feast upon the flesh of the ponies! But tomorrow, we will control all of Equestria forever! They are powerless against us! The time has come for a new era to begin in Equestria! Onwards! To victory!"

The Ursa Majors growled in applause and followed their new master as he turned towards the direction of civilization and began his death march.

* * *

A cry of dismay and fear rang throughout the Crystal Empire as the ghostly alicorn walked towards the castle. He needed to see the ones in charge and warn them of the threat his father posed to all of Equestria. It was understandable that the Crystal Ponies would run in fear of him, for he still had not taken on a physical form. Up ahead, he could see a group of guards being led by Shining Armor and Cadence. No doubt they thought him a threat and were coming to deal with it. The alicorn's guess was confirmed when the guards lowered their spears or horns at the alicorn.

"Are you in charge here?" the alicorn asked Shining Armor and Cadence. His voice was dark, but it held a note in it that suggested that he wasn't evil.

"We are. May I ask what your business is here in the Crystal Empire?" Cadence replied, asking her own question.

"I mean you no harm to you or your subjects, Princess Cadence. I have not come to harm you, but to warn you and to ask a favor."

"Warn us? Of what? And what favor?"

"I need to get to Ponyville as soon as possible. As for the warning, my father had returned to Equestria. He plans to destroy all of Ponykind and if he's not stopped now, then all will perish by his hooves."

"Wait, returned?" Shining Armor asked. "Who are you? And what do you mean that your father has returned. Has he attacked before?"

"He has attacked before, twice. He once held the Crystal Empire under his tyrannic rule before he was cast down. As for who I am..."

The alicorn's image shifted and transformed as he gained a physical form. He had a dark grey coat with a black and orange fiery mane and tail. His eyes were a crimson red color and a scar ran across his left eye. He was wearing a white cloak with blue flames at the bottom, blue armbands on his front hooves, and a long red scarf. His right front hoof was made entirely of crystal. His Cutie Mark was two swords crossed with a blue flame symbol at the center. He looked at the ponies in front of him before he continued.

"My name is Phantom Void, and I am the son of King Sombra."

* * *

TD was glad that he had been able to help Twilight, if only for a little while, but something was bothering him as he and Twilight headed back to Ponyville. He felt a kind of dread hanging in the air, his powers warning him that something bad was about to happen. Pulling out a script, TD read it carefully and then put it down slowly, a look of dread on his face.

"Oh darn."

"What's wrong?"

TD got serious. "Get the girls! Something bad's about to happen! I just hope that we can deal with it..."

Twilight immediately teleported away. TD was about to follow, but then he felt a nearby power surge as another pony teleported out of nowhere in front of him. Phantom Void looked over at TD and the two stared at each other for a moment. TD finally broke the tension with, "So, your name is Phantom Void and you're here to help, yes?"

"Correct. How did you-?"

"Fourth Wall breaking. It's quite handy what you can learn from the script. They call me the Terror of Dimensions, but you can call me TD for short. I'm a reformed villain, more or less."

"Ok...you have to get everypony out of here! My father-"

"Is already here!" a dark and evil voice shouted. The two turned towards the voice to see a swarm of Ursa Majors as far as the eye could see. In front of them was a crystallized Ursa Major bigger than the rest. The crystal shell burst to reveal King Sombra himself, laughing wickedly.

"You disappoint me, son. You held such potential, but you threw it all away!"

"You wanted me to take over Equestria with you! You wanted me to harm innocent ponies who had done no wrong! I will never side with you!"

"Maybe not, but if that's the case then you are free to die with the rest of them!"

Just then, Twilight and the girls joined TD and Phantom Void. Upon seeing the scene in front of them, they were all speechless for a second. Finally, Twilight spoke up.

"TD, who's that? And how's Sombra back?"

"That would be King Sombra's son. Don't worry, he's on our side! I don't know how Sombra got back, but I'm willing to bet it's because my writer wanted a plot involving him!"

"What?"

"Just kill those things! Or whatever you do! I'll start whether you do or not! Cya!"

And with that, TD charged into the sea of Ursa Majors right when Sombra ordered them to charge. Meanwhile, the residents of Ponyville came outside to watch the spectacle, seeing everything. Without much of a choice, the girls joined in the chaos. It wasn't easy. TD and Phantom Void seemed to be the only ones having much success with the Ursa Majors on their own. Everyone else had to team up against them. The girls weren't having much luck, until one of the Ursa Majors managed to knock Rainbow Dash out of the sky. At this, Pinkie Pie got mad and forgetting all about the crowd of ponies watching, she transformed into a dragon. The Ursa Majors were too surprised to react to this and Pinkie Pie quickly overpowered them. She then helped Rainbow Dash get back into the sky.

"Pinkie! Your disguise. What about the other ponies?"

"Forget about them! I'm not letting you down just so I can keep my secret!"

Just then, a cry of alarm came from Twilight. An Ursa Major had her in its paw, and she seemed to be unable to escape. In one swift motion, the Ursa Major threw Twilight into the air and snapped its jaws shut, swallowing her. It immediately regretted doing that. TD suddenly tackled it to the ground, despite its size and his own, and his hands glowed with energy. He started punching the Ursa Major in the stomach and it grunted and groaned in pain each time.

"You spit her out right now! If anyone is going to kill her, it's me!"

TD delivered one final punch to the gut, and the Ursa Major spat Twilight out sky high. TD jumped impossibly high and caught her in his arms. They then plummeted down into the ground, creating a crater. However, when the dust cleared, both were completely unharmed.

"You okay?" TD asked gently as he set her down.

"Yeah. Did he-?"

"Yes, yes he did. Though I highly doubt that he'll try that again anytime soon."

TD looked around at the other sides of the battlefield to see what was going on. Rainbow Dash was flying circles around a group of Ursa Majors until they got dizzy and fell to the ground, unable to continue the fight. Pinkie Pie was still a dragon and was blowing fire on a group of the Ursa Majors. Fluttershy was getting some critters out of the way of the fight. Applejack was bucking all kinds of objects at the Ursa Majors, keeping them distracted from the citizens of Ponyville. Starlight was using all kinds of spells against the Ursa Majors, all of which seemed to be highly effective. Rarity was sitting next to a crying Ursa Major and speaking comforting words to it. "Really?" TD heard her say, "That sounds awful! Well good riddance to her!"

"Seriously, Rarity!? Now's not the time!"

TD looked at the remaining army. There was still so many of the enemy left, and he was almost depleted. Red lightning crawled up his arms, signaling that he was near his limits in magic. It was then that Sombra decided that playtime was over. He fired a burst of lightning at all of heroes and they all collapsed to the ground. Even TD wasn't unaffected. Phantom Void had been taken down from behind by a nasty looking Ursa Major and seemed unconscious. Sombra laughed as TD looked up helplessly.

"A good show of strength, but I think we all know who's won today!"

Sombra turned to the closest pony to him, who so happened to be Fluttershy. Fluttershy trembled in fear as Sombra used his magic to tie her down and lifted his horn. Twilight saw this and mustering all her strength she jumped in the way as Sombra lowered his horn. The horn impaled Twilight in the chest and a gasp of pain escaped her lips as Sombra pulled his horn out of her body.

In that moment, TD felt his heart beat faster and his blood boil in his veins (knowing him, it was probably literal). A howl of rage came from the Lord of Chaos as he charged Sombra with a newfound energy. Sombra realized too late that he had made a terrible mistake. TD slammed into him and then lifted the shadow pony into the air, though it wasn't clear how as no magic had been seen used. TD looked Sombra in the eye and Sombra suddenly got a look in his eyes that no one had ever seen in him before: a look of pure fear and horror. Most people who looked into TD's eyes were either intimidated or fearful because of how scary they looked. But Sombra realized something that none of them noticed. He was staring into the eyes of a being far more powerful than he could ever dream, a being so old that it made Celestia's immortal lifespan look like a grain of sand in an hourglass. And said being was pissed off. For the first time in his life that he could remember, King Sombra was afraid.

"My personalities can't usually agree on a lot of things," TD said dangerously, "but we all can agree on this..."

He used his magic to smash Sombra into the ground, or occasionally attack him personally for every word that he spoke, "NOBODY HURTS MY FRIENDS OR MY FAMILY!"

TD finally stopped, Sombra being in a terrible state. Before Sombra could move, his image started to glow and he screamed in defeat. Sombra's image shattered like glass and flew away in the wind like paper. The Ursa Majors all suddenly disappeared as suddenly as Sombra did, both those that remained and those that lay defeated. TD's rage subsided and a look of worry appeared on his face.

"Twilight!"

He rushed to the bleeding alicorn's side and held her head up to look at her. She was in a pool of blood now and didn't look like she'd last long.

"No. Nononono! You're not going to die! Not on my watch! RD!"

Rainbow Dash looked to him in question.

"Go to Twilight's room. Look for my bag of relics. The one that has nothing in it. Inside, you'll see a kind of flower. Bring it here, hurry!"

Rainbow Dash took off without a word as Phantom Void, Starlight, and the rest of the Mane Six gathered around Twilight. Starlight was looking devastated and Pinkie Pie was ready to cry. "Please don't die, Twilight!" She sniffed, "Please!" She had forgotten to put on her disguise, so she stood before the group as a Changeling, but she didn't care anymore. TD stayed quiet and applied pressure to Twilight's wound. Twilight didn't say anything, but simply kept gasping in pain. It wasn't long before Rainbow Dash returned with a strange glowing flower in a saddle bag. TD took the flower from her before she had even landed and held it close to Twilight. "You're going to be alright," he said softly. He then placed the flower near her head and sang a song he had used so many times in the past:

 **TD:** _Flower, gleam and glow.  
_ _Let your power shine.  
_ _Make the clock reverse  
_ _Bring back what once was mine._

 _Heal what has been hurt.  
_ _Change the Fates' design.  
_ _Save what has been lost.  
_ _Bring back what once was mine._

 _What once was mine._

As TD sang, the flower began to glow and a kind of energy floated out of it and into Twilight. The others were both confused and in awe as they watched. When TD finished the song, the flower stopped glowing and the energy disappeared. It was then that they noticed that Twilight's wound had closed up and her breathing steadied. She lifted her head and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. TD smiled and gave her a quick hug before putting the flower away on his person, though nobody was sure how he did it or where it went.

"William?" Twilight asked in confusion, "what did you do?"

"I sang a song to a flower and it healed you."

"That. Was. Amazing!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"What in tarnation was that thing?" Applejack demanded.

"A fire flower. A rare magical plant that grows on the surface of the sun. It took me many hundreds of years of searching through different worlds, dimensions, timelines and universes to find it. The only known way to obtain one is to find it when a drop of the sun falls to the planet below and causes one to grow. The flowers possess great power; even I have only scratched the surface of their capabilities. The flower can heal wounds, cure diseases, and make the sick healthy again. It can even grant immortality, but at a price; one who gains immortality from the flower must not travel too far from the flower, for they start to age when they're away from the flower. If the flower is ever destroyed, however many years have passed that the flower granted you will hit you all at once. Such power, it must be protected. I keep them because one of my greatest weaknesses with my magic is my inability to heal major wounds."

"Why can't you heal things with your magic?" Fluttershy asked.

"Chaos cannot heal, it only destroys or alters things into a state that they shouldn't be in. There are some loopholes to this, but not many that I can exploit."

It was only then that the heroes noticed that the Ponyville ponies had walked up to them. They all stared in awe at the group, but most noticeably at Pinkie Pie. Feeling awkward, Pinkie Pie smiled nervously and said, "Hi everypony! Yes, I'm a Changeling. Always have. I was going to tell you guys about it, but then this happened and uh..."

But Pinkie Pie didn't get to finish and neither did she need to. The ponyfolk all crowded our heroes and cheered their names. None of them feared the Changeling nor the son of Sombra. Their lives had been saved and that was good enough for them. TD smiled in satisfaction and turned to look at Twilight. He felt a little guilty about his surge of rage that he had felt towards Sombra when he had seen Twilight's condition, but deep down he knew that he would do it all over again to save her. His personalities may have been conflicted in many ways, but one thing was certain to them all.

Nobody harmed Princess Twilight Sparkle...and lived to tell the tale.

* * *

 **Well, this is getting difficult! With school back in session, I'm bound to get a lot of writer's block! I can't tell you when another chapter will be posted, but I promise that this story is far from dead!**

 **What about you? Do you have an OC suggestion for my story? Leave me a message about that character and I'll consider putting him/her/them into the picture.**

 **Song used: I don't know the actual name, but it's from _Tangled_ , which is owned by Disney.**

 **Thanks again for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed! I'll cya next time! Bye!**


	12. The Return of His Darkness - Part One

**Do you ever feel like this story is a bit cheesy? Me neither! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

TD felt it coming to him in a very frightening way. The transformation was forceful and unwilling. He heard himself laugh as his evil side took over once again. TD watched helplessly as all of Equestria was subdued by his darker side and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Two days," the dark side said to him, "then I return to finish what we started."

TD woke with a start. He was in the Castle of Friendship in a special bed that he had set up for himself. It had all been a dream. No, that wasn't a dream! It was a vision. His dark side would return, and there was nothing he could do about it. Two days. He had enough time to warn his friends, but would they believe him? More importantly, could they stop him?

Just then, TD heard movement in the room. At first he tensed up, but he then relaxed. It was just Twilight, and it seemed that she had awoken too. Twilight sat up in bed and looked around. A pair of glowing eyes could be seen on the other side of the room across from her bed. Once upon a time, those eyes would've scared her to death knowing who they belonged to. Now, those same eyes comforted her when she saw them. But she noticed that those eyes were fearful of something.

"William? What happened? Is something wrong?"

A sigh was heard from TD and his voice spoke from the darkness.

"Twilight, I just had a vision. It- it wasn't good."

"What happened?"

"My evil personality, he's back. He's giving me two days to say my goodbyes and whatnot, then he's taking over again."

"What?!"

"Shh! You're wake somebody up!"

"Sorry. Are you sure he isn't lying to you?"

"Twilight, there are some codes that all three of my personalities share and one such code is this: while we may not always tell the full truth, we never lie."

Twilight was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is there anything we could do to help?"

"Well, I guess that we can try and make the most of our time together during those days."

"Can't you reverse it? Isn't there a way to keep him from coming back?"

TD's eyes vanished from view, and at first, Twilight wasn't sure where TD had gone. Then, she heard his breathing near her bed.

"Oh Twily!" TD said, using the pet name her brother had given her. "If I could, I'd suppress him forever if it meant staying with you. But this is the price that I must pay for my choice. Perhaps when you defeat him, he'll be less willing to rise again. I know that he's warming up to you too in his own way, but one thing that he respects is strength. Defeating him will show him your strength and he may come to like you as I do."

"You make it sound easy, but I know from personal experience that defeating you is hard."

Twilight's bed creaked a bit as she heard TD move up on the bed next to her. Considering that she couldn't see his eyes glowing in the dark, she assumed that he was in his human form. Her guess was deemed correct when a hand softly caressed her cheek.

"Twilight, I'm scared of what may happen to you if you fail. To all the girls. To everyone who I have grown to see as friends here. But I know that you can do it. You are one of the strongest independent females I've run across in my life. When you and your friends get together, the sky's the limit for you."

Twilight smiled in the dark, knowing that he couldn't see her smile, but he knew somehow. A slight sensation was felt over her mane that suddenly drew back. Twilight chuckled and said, "It's okay, William. I don't mind." TD breathed a sigh of relief and Twilight suddenly felt his hand stroking her mane in his slow yet comforting manner. She stiffened a bit as his hand wandered down her back and stroked her coat as well, but she soon relaxed and allowed this too. Even so, she couldn't help but notice how hesitant TD was to show this affection. She didn't blame him really, for he did promise not to take advantage of her. He was probably scared that he'd give her the wrong impression. Twilight chuckled inwardly at the thought. She located him in the dark and wrapped her front hooves and her wings around him in a loving embrace. TD returned the embrace, still continuing to stroke her coat and mane. Twilight nuzzled her head against his chest and heard a sigh escape him when she did. TD returned the nuzzling, which was somewhat strange to her, as it wasn't like she was nuzzling up against another pony but a human. Yet, she found it oddly comforting. After a few minutes, Twilight heard TD whisper, "I'm guessing that you won't be going back to sleep either, will you?"

"Nope." Twilight whispered back, nuzzling into him again. "And even if I could, I'd prefer to stay up with you."

"Fair enough" he replied, as his hand ran down her back. Twilight let out a sigh of her own as TD continued to stroke her coat. The two of them soon found themselves lying down on the bed, with Twilight resting on top of TD. Yet they never left the embrace nor did their affection towards each other stop. They stayed like this for the rest of the night, enjoying each other's company for as long as possible. Twilight in particular felt very strange inside during this moment, but in a good way. Her heart seemed to beat faster, her body felt like it was as light as air, and she couldn't deny the relaxing sensations that went through her every time TD stroked her. She thought that she knew the answer to this, but pushed it back. It couldn't be possible.

Could it?

* * *

 **Morning of the first day...**

Not wasting any time, TD had arrived in Canterlot with a bang (literally) right after his breakfast to warn Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The guards, for once, had actually been much more open to him and had let him in immediately. He soon found out why, though; apparently, Celestia already knew about him coming to meet her, though not necessarily what he had to say.

"You're able to read minds and now you can predict when I'm coming around to tell you something? Can you break the Fourth Wall too?"

Celestia smiled and said, "Maybe I do, and maybe I don't. Of course, then again, you kinda left this here by accident." She held up a sheet of paper in front of TD with her magic. TD took a good look, and almost laughed at the irony. Celestia was holding the script for that morning's scene.

"Eh, you got me there!"

"Anyways, do you think that your dark side may be lying to you?" Luna asked, for once not speaking like a Medieval Knight.

"Even my dark side doesn't lie Luna. Besides, this isn't the first time that he's pulled this and I almost guarantee that it won't be the last."

"So what can we do?"

"The only thing that you can do; prepare for the worst. No seriously, he's going to mess this world up. I've already sent a message to Shining Armor and Cadence in the form of one of my mirror images. In truth, they're receiving a message similar to your own right now."

 **Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire...**

An exact replica of TD stood in the throne room of the Crystal Empire, relaying his message to Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.

"...I've already sent a message to Celestia and Luna, only it's me personally giving it. In truth, they are receiving a message similar to your own right now."

 **Back in Canterlot...**

"I see...Thank you for your warning, TD. We shall warn all of Equestria and her allies of this. How much time do we have?"

"Not much. He literally only gave us two days. But, fear not! I have an easy way to fix this! Message wise, that is. I can't do anything about him coming back."

TD caused several scrolls to appear out of nowhere. The scrolls glowed brightly, then somehow tore themselves into little pieces of paper that disappeared in a flash.

"There! Now, all of Equestria and her allies are warned. It's complicated of how it works, so I'll just put it in simpler terms and say that each and every resident has been given a message that explains everything to them. Now they will be prepared for this."

"Thank you for your support, TD."

"Your welcome, Celestia. Now, I must be off. I promised the girls that we'd spend today and tomorrow together. Especially Twilight. And you do NOT want to get her mad by being late or anything. Goodbye!"

TD started to walk out the doors of the throne room as Celestia called back, "Goodbye, TD. And treat Twilight well while you're still sane."

TD stopped and turned back towards the white alicorn.

"How did you know? How did you freaking- oh! Right. Cheeky! You really are the best suited for the title of Princess!"

Celestia chuckled as TD burst into flames and turned to ashes. The ashes then scattered into a wind that appeared out of nowhere.

* * *

Because they wanted to do something together, the Mane Six had decided to throw a party for TD to celebrate what time they had left with each other. TD was very grateful for this act of kindness from his friends and did his best to entertain as much as he was entertained. Each of his friends also gave him several gifts that he had stored away into a special locker so his darker side couldn't destroy them and he could enjoy them later. After the party, TD did a similar routine with his friends as he had done during their "official" meeting days. They enjoyed TD's company as much as he enjoyed being there for them. After the party had come to a close, TD thanked each and every one of them for the kind gestures. They all remarked how much they would miss him before he turned, and he himself remarked how much he would miss them too. The second day was mostly spent helping the girls prepare for whatever his evil side would conjure up. TD seemed to be quite serious and helpful during this day, hardly even resting to eat. He applied some special shelters to Ponyville placed at regular intervals that he said would protect them from the worst of the storm that was to come. But come the evening, TD seemed to disappear from view, and Twilight too. At first they were afraid that something bad had happened, but then Pinkie Pie found a letter on Twilight's bedroom door. It said, "Out with Twi. Last request she made to me. Be prepared of what is to come and worry not for her life."

"Do we trust him?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"He's been true to his word so far," Applejack vouched. "Ah say that we hold him to it. Besides, Ah think that he and Twi want to be alone for now."

"Wait, you don't think-?" Rainbow Dash started.

"Isn't it obvious, darling?" Rarity stated, "They are head-over-hooves towards each other!"

Rainbow Dash made a gagging noise, while Starlight just muttered, "Guess we'll have to get used to that." Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "Ooo! Maybe when this all blows over, we should throw them a 'Congratulations' Party! Wait, no. An 'It's About Time' party? It'll come to me!"

"Oh, I'm so happy for them! Even if it's not much time to have together," Fluttershy said.

"Calm down, y'all. Ah don't think they want to make a big deal out of it. Let's just wait and see what happens for now."

* * *

TD and Twilight sat upon another picnic blanket as they gazed up at the night sky. They were silent at first, not knowing what to say. At last, TD broke the silence.

"You're thinking about tomorrow, aren't you?"

Twilight nodded, still unclear of what to say. TD gently reached over to her and started to stroke her mane. When he did, Twilight looked at him and finally spoke.

"Stop. I- I don't think I can bear to think that this will end."

"But you don't want me to stop, do you?"

"No. Oh, what are we going to do?"

"You'll think of something. And I have a feeling that you'll win in the end."

Twilight smiled at this as TD started to stroke her coat next. TD looked at her eyes and smiled.

"Wow. Your eyes really seem to glisten in the night air. They're like the stars themselves."

Twilight smiled at that compliment, but then she giggled a little at one point and said, "Watch it! I'm ticklish there."

"Oh you are?" TD said with a mischievous smile.

Twilight realized too late her mistake, and TD started tickling her relentlessly. Twilight laughed out loud and TD laughed along with her. She finally got him to stop by asking him if she could first finish the cake that he had brought. But of course, that was just a decoy. For no sooner was she free than she started tickling him.

"Ha ha ha! Stop! You tricked me- ha ha ha!"

TD suddenly managed to grab Twilight and held her at arm's reach away from him. Considering that she could fly, it wasn't too surprising that he could lift her. Flying creatures tended to have hollow bones, and theoretically Twilight was no exception to that rule.

"Nice try," TD said, putting on an accent, "but I am ze captain now!"

"Okay! You win!"

TD laughed and set her down on the ground. She then nuzzled up against him and gave him her special hug, wings and all. TD returned the embrace and stroked her mane and coat. For a while, they stayed like this, until TD suddenly stiffened and lifted his head.

"What is it?" Twilight asked.

"We don't have much time left. Twilight. Listen, I...have something to give to you, and I feel like it's long overdue. Whatever happens, remember that it belongs to you alone, and it will always be yours."

"What? William, what are you say-?"

Before Twilight could finish, TD gave her a quick and passionate kiss. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't pull away from him. In fact, part of her was still trying to register what was happening. TD finally ended the kiss and slowly stood to his feet. With one final look at the alicorn, TD said softly, "Cya later, Twilight Sparkle. Kick my flank for me when we meet again." He then disappeared in a miniature nuke explosion. Twilight watched him leave, stunned by his actions and wishing that he didn't have to leave. Her lips still tingled where he had kissed her...

* * *

TD looked down sadly at the world of Equestria down below him. It was so hard to believe that it would all be destroyed by his hands, even if it was under the influence of another side to him.

"Times up," a dark voice said inside him. "Are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, but I'd still like to hear if you're good now."

TD sadly hung his head and said in an almost inaudible voice, "Do what you must."

Suddenly, he fell to the ground and clutched his head in pain. His skin turned deathly pale, vampire fangs grew from his mouth and draconic wings sprouted from his back. TD laughed an evil laugh and smiled.

"Now, to finish what we started."

He walked over to something that hadn't been there before: a wooden book stand with a piece of paper on it and a fire near it. On the paper was written a very short incantation, but it was all that he would need. A storm started brewing as TD walked up to the spell and chanted the words of doom, his voice echoing across all of Equestria:

 _Ravage the lands as never before!_

 _Total destruction from mountain to shore!_

And with those words spoken, all of Equestria was plunged into chaos. But not Discord's "harmless" chaos; this was chaos that killed. Fissures opened up in the ground, spewing out giant flames; earthquakes devastated entire towns, threatening the lives of thousands; rivers flooded the low lying areas of Equestria; and devastating storms ravaged the lands, threatening both those on land and in the sky. As his glorious chaos ensued, TD laughed at the sounds of peril that he heard from below.

"And so the Age of Endless Chaos begins," he said to himself aloud. "This time, nothing can stop me now!"

TD was right. Throughout all Equestria, there was none who could stop his reign of terror.

Except one...

* * *

 **Don't fret! There's a part two on the way!**

 **School has started for me again, so I'm going to be hitting a lot of writer's block. In truth, I actually experienced said writer's block yesterday while trying to finish this chapter. I can't guarantee when more chapters will be posted, but I promise that I will continue to post more content.**

 **Edit: The spell used by TD is a short line spoken by Gargamel in the 1980's opening of the _Smurfs_ cartoons.**

 **Rate, review, and I'll see y'all next time! Goodnight all!**


	13. The Return of His Darkness - Part Two

**Wow! This story is either starting to gain popularity or I'm just getting the same people over and over again. Either way, thank you all for your support! I hope you've been enjoying reading this series as I have enjoyed writing it.**

 **Special thanks to** ** _impressionsguy_** **and** ** _Demon Wolf Alpha_** **for letting me use their OC's in my story. Thanks also to those two and** ** _Admirer Boy_** **for supporting my progress. Thanks again!**

 **The OC offer from Chapter 2 or 3 is still on the table if you're interested (Just heads up: I do not count the Prologue as Chapter one. The chapter after the Prologue is technically chapter one). For those that have already submitted an OC or more, don't worry! I haven't forgotten you. I am either waiting for a good time to introduce your OC's or trying to decide which ones would be the better one to use.**

 **Edit: Another redo with Chuck's scenes are done here as well.**

 **Here we go! Part two is on the way!**

* * *

Princess Celestia could only watch in hopelessness as her beautiful city of Canterlot erupted into a panic. Even though everypony had had the situation explained to them, it didn't make it any less dangerous or scary. To make matters worst, TD himself was slowly making his way towards her castle. Celestia knew that he was toying with her; he could just as easily teleport into her throne room past all of the guards and other obstacles, and then face her himself. He was simply relishing his own victory, letting her contemplate the inevitable as he advanced upon her. TD had chosen to remain in his human form for this fight, but it was the darker form of his human self, indicating which side of him was in charge. A guard joined Celestia and said, "My Lady, we must get you out of here! You must flee!"

"No!" Celestia declared, "I will not run away and leave my people to suffer! If TD wants to take Equestria from us, he'll have to do it over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged!" TD shouted from below. He had heard her every word somehow despite the distance between him, but considering what he was capable of it wasn't too surprising. TD managed to reach the gates of the throne room, and Celestia had had enough. She turned back around and teleported into the throne room where the rest of her guards waited with her. And not a moment too soon; for as soon as she had teleported in, TD blasted the doors down. The guards all charged him at once, but TD simply pulled out a sword/staff hybrid weapon and attacked the guards. It was noted that while at least two guards died, it was clear that TD didn't want to kill them. In fact, instead of killing them, TD would forcibly place his hand on the side of their heads and a surge of energy would leave his hands upon doing so. Every guard that had this done to them turned towards Celestia to reveal a glow coming from their eyes and a red glowing hand print on the side of their face. TD had branded them into his own soldiers. Celestia stood ready to defend herself. She wasn't sure where Luna had gone, but she hoped that she was okay. The guards started to charge Celestia, but TD held up his hand in a gesture that clearly meant that he wanted her for himself.

"Oh don't worry about Luna," TD said in a dark voice, "She's safe...for now. Although, I'm sure that she would love to be reunited with her big sister again."

"You won't get away with this, TD," Celestia stated, trying to buy some time for backup, "You will-"

"Why does everyone say that, even when it's obvious that they will? Fine, I'll humor you with one of the usual comebacks: 'Oh, but I already have!' Evil laugh, evil laugh, and whatever cliches you might want to add in! Sorry to break this short, Sunshine, but this is where the history books end for you!"

Celestia knew it wouldn't do much good, but she still fired a burst of magic at TD. TD, as expected, effortlessly placed up a shield around himself that absorbed the blast, not showing any signs of damage. He then countered by lifting up his fingers in a "gun" shape and fired a single blast that filled the entire room. Celestia placed up her most powerful shield to block it, but the shield shattered almost instantly and she was thrown against a wall, badly hurt. TD laughed and walked up to. He scoffed, "Pathetic. You aren't worth the effort, but I guess I'll just have to make due with what I've got." He then kicked her in the face and everything went dark.

 **Later, Canterlot Dungeons...**

Celestia woke up in a familiar place, one which she had never expected to end up in. She had been down in the Canterlot Dungeons a few times before, but never on the other side of the bars. It only served to tell her who was in charge now, and that person so happened to be standing in front of the cell doors.

"Normally, I'd change the cells a bit to suit me better, but I think that since this is your first time being in a cell that you should experience how it feels first."

Celestia didn't answer, but only glared at him. She couldn't help but notice the crown on his head. It wasn't her own crown or Luna's, for Celestia was still wearing her own crown and Luna's didn't look like the one TD was wearing.

It looked very much like a volcano made of gold at the top, with the rim that fit around his head shaped like a series of flames. Miniature streams of real lava could be seen streaming down the sides of the volcano on top, but the lava streams stopped just at the edge of TD's crown, so they never streamed down into his eyes or onto the floor.

"In case you're wondering," TD said to her, "I let you keep your crown, because I think that you look a bit weird without it. Seriously, it's like a part of your physical appearance. Besides, I think that my crown is so much better. I'll leave you alone for now. Get comfortable, Celestia. Get _really_ comfortable. Assuming that I don't kill you, this is where you're going to spend the rest of your miserable little life!"

With an evil laugh, TD disappeared Cheshire Cat style, grinning widely and disappearing from view. Celestia waited for him to be gone before dropping her glare and sadly sinking to the ground in despair. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her say, "Sister?" Celestia turned to see Luna behind her in a similar condition.

"Luna!"

The two sisters embraced each other, thankful that they were both safe. They then returned to their current situation.

"I'm sorry, Sister. I couldn't stop him. None of us can," Luna sobbed.

"I know, Luna," Celestia said comfortingly, "And it's not your fault. TD's magic well exceeds our own; all we could do is delay him for awhile."

"Now, our only hope lies in Twilight and her friends."

"Maybe not, Luna," Celestia replied, looking thoughtful, "Maybe only one of them holds the key to defeating him."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked.

Celestia chuckled a bit. "You'd be surprised, Luna. All I can say is that he hasn't won the battle yet."

* * *

Twilight had finally returned to Ponyville the day TD changed, just before the chaos had ensued. At the first sign of danger, she had teleported into one of the shelters provided for them the other day and waited out the chaos. She was glad to find that none of the citizens were harmed, but was sad to find how much had been laid waste. When she left the shelter and oversaw the damage done, she almost started crying. Not only had Ponyville been devastated, but also the Castle of Friendship had fallen apart too. Twilight was about to go find the girls, when Starlight teleported in front of her.

"Twilight! Come quick!" she shouted breathlessly with tears in her eyes, "The Castle! Spike and Pinkie Pie were still inside when it-!"

Without waiting for Starlight to finish, Twilight teleported them to the ruins of the Castle where the rest of the girls were standing nearby. Spike was already pulled out of the rubble and seemed to be passed out. He was being cradled by Applejack, who looked down at him with worry. Pinkie Pie, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found. Fluttershy and Rarity were standing off to one side crying, and Rainbow Dash was joining them, not caring that anyone noticed.

"My ulcer is killing me." A voice grumbled, lifting a piece of rubble up and emerging from it, it was Chuck. He grumbled and cracked his neck wincing in pain. "Boy did I pick a bad day to wear my contacts, huh Pinkie?" He asked, looking around, she wasn't there. "Pinkie?" He asked again.

Applejack looked over at Chuck. "Ah'm sorry, Sugarcube. Nopony saw her leave before it fell."

Twilight was just as taken aback.

"No..." she whispered almost inaudibly, as a large tear fell from her eye and splashed onto the ground.

"What?" Chuck asked, not quite believing her at first. "You... You can't be serious." The bleak faces in the area however confirmed it to be true. "Just... excuse me for one moment." He said before exiting through a door nearby that used to belong to a room and closing it. What followed was a symphony of crying, yelling, and swearing. It was almost poetic in a way.

"Ya realize there's no room there, right?" Applejack asked. She wasn't crying, but she still looked terrible.

"I'm not a moron!" He growled, peeking out from the closed door frame erected among the pile of rubble.

"Aww! Don't cry everypony! You'll make me cry too!" Pinkie's voice suddenly spoke from nearby. Immediately, everyone's heads jerked upwards and looked around, but they couldn't see Pinkie yet.

"You heard that too... right?" Fluttershy asked the others, who nodded and looked around.

"Hon?" Chuck asked.

"Down here!" Pinkie's voice called. As they watched, a small insect of some kind, possibly a roach, crawled out from underneath a pile of crystals. Then a burst of pink flames engulfed it and when it cleared, Pinkie was standing before them in her Changeling form.

"Pinkie!" They all exclaimed, running over to her.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked her.

"Yeah," Pinkie replied, "That was close. Too close."

"What happened, darling?" Rarity asked.

 **Earlier...**

"Hey, can you guys help me look through these scrolls?" Spike asked Pinkie and Chuck as he heaved a pile of scrolls over to a table in the library, "Twilight wants me to find anything that might help in taking down TD when he turns again."

"Perhaps a heavy artillery bomber?" Chuck suggested. "Oh wait, kid's show."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds like it could cause some damage. Where'd we be able to find one?"

"Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, all places unattainable to your likes." Chuck explained.

"Unattainable and unaccessable!" Pinkie added, bouncing over to one of the scrolls. She peered through it for a few seconds, then threw it behind her with a loud "Yegh!"

"What is it?" Spike asked.

"Apparently it's one of TD's," Pinkie explained as she searched through another scroll, "Unless Twilight suddenly has taken an interest in how some creatures outside of Equestria prefer to cook Changelings."

"Is there a fricosee method?" Chuck asked. "I jest."

"Even if there was, you're vegetarian Chuck," Spike stated. He then realized something. "Well, you are now. Before, TD tells me your were... omnivorous?"

"I leaned closer to carnivorous. With the exception of corn and potatoes, the least vegetable of all vegetables." Chuck explained.

"I want to vomit." Spike admitted.

Suddenly, Pinkie looked away from her scroll as her tail started to twitch and her Pinkie Sense started acting up. Her expression turned to one of horror and she looked over to Chuck. With a loud, "Chuckie, look out!" she leaped through the air and tackled him to the ground. A split second later, a large chunk of the ceiling fell where he had been standing.

"What's happening?" Spike asked.

As if to answer, the entire castle started crumbling apart. Pinkie didn't even stop to blink. With surprising strength and speed, she grabbed Chuck and Spike both in her front hooves, and made a mad dash through the falling castle, dodging debris and demolishing hallways as she went. Eventually, they could see the doorway up ahead. Unfortunately, it looked ready to collapse as well. With the same strength as before, Pinkie threw Spike over her shoulder and out the door, the dragon shouting in surprise the whole way. She paused with Chuck, looking him in the eyes. Her image stayed the same, but her eyes turned into her Changeling eyes for a brief moment.

"I love you!" she shouted, then she threw him towards the door too.

"What? No!" He exclaimed, before more rubble came tumbling down... then, darkness.

 **Present...**

"...and after I threw him out the door, I barely had time to change forms before the castle collapsed on top of me!" Pinkie finished.

"That was some mighty fast thinkin' there, Pinkie Pie!" Applejack congratulated.

"I'm so happy you're okay." Chuck said. "My pacemaker almost exploded when I thought you were gone."

"I'm glad you're okay too," Pinkie replied. She then noticed that a crowd of ponies had gathered around from the now-damaged town. "Oh, hi everypony!"

"Look out! It's a Changeling!" a voice shouted from the crowd. The crowd, and the Elements, all glared at the speaker, who gave a sheepish smile and backed off.

"Everythin' is alright everypony! Y'all can go about your business," Applejack said to the crowd.

"Pinkie Pie!" three young voices called out to the Changeling. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo rushed up to her from out of the crowd and tackled her with a hug of their own.

"We thought we'd never see ya again!" Applebloom cried.

"Aww! I missed you fillies too!" Pinkie said, "Even if it was for only a few minutes."

Everypony let them enjoy their quick reunion before Twilight started to get to the point.

"We have to stop TD if we plan to have this chaos come to an end!" she shouted.

"Well, for once I agree that it would be best if we had a little less chaos around here," a familiar voice stated. Discord sprouted up from the ground like a plant and stood before the ponies. Most of them stepped back a bit, but the Mane Six and their friends all shouted with joy, "Discord!"

"Hello, my friends!" he greeted enthusiastically, "What's the game plan?"

"We need more allies to help fight back against TD, and we could use your help," Fluttershy explained, "Discord, do you think that you could get Cadence for us? She seems to have a power that TD can't really fight against, and-"

"One second!"

Discord snapped his talons and Cadence appeared before them all.

"What? How did I-? Discord?! What are you-?"

"Sorry Cadence," Twilight said apologetically, "but we don't have much time to explain," Twilight said, inwardly glad to see her sister-in-law again. "We have a job to do. Some _body_ needs to be taken down!"

"You're going to take down TD?" Cadence was surprised. "But, how?"

"Your magic," Twilight explained, "He can't fight back against that, so that gives us the edge. But that's not enough. We'll need more help!"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," a dark, yet not necessarily evil voice spoke from behind.

"And me!" a second, female voice added.

Rainbow Dash's face turned into an expression of extreme excitement when she heard the second voice. Turning around, the group saw a dark grey alicorn standing besides a familiar pegasus adventurer. Daring Do smiled and asked, "What can we do to help?"

* * *

It didn't take long for the group to assemble together for their battle plan. Since they didn't exactly know what TD had in store for them, they decided to just wing it (no pun intended). Daring Do had brought a lot of traveling equipment that she felt would be helpful in the fight and Phantom Void had brought an army of Fire Wolves (wolves made of fire) to join them as well. Before leaving, each member said their goodbyes to those that they'd be leaving behind.

"I'm gonna miss every second I'm away from you!" Pinkie cried, as she locked Chuck into a big hug. She still had neglected to put up her disguise, as she felt it wouldn't be necessary anymore... at least in Ponyville.

"Be safe. Please." Chuck stressed the last part.

"I will! It's so cute to see you worried like this," Pinkie giggled.

"I'm glad my overriding anxiety is cute to you," He said dryly. "I love you."

"I love you too." Pinkie kissed his cheek.

Nearby, the CMC were saying their own goodbyes to their own family.

"Ah'm gonna miss ya, little sis," Applejack said gently as she hugged her family.

"We're gonna miss ya too!" Applebloom said back.

"Eeyup!" Big Mac said tearfully.

"Oh, I wish that I didn't have to go!" Rarity said tearfully as she gave her goodbyes to Sweetie Belle.

"Don't worry! I'll be waiting for you when you get back. Go show him who's in charge, Rarity!"

"Well, I guess I'll see ya later, Squirt!" RD said in her usual confident tone.

"Aren't you scared that you won't come back?" Scootaloo asked.

"Well yeah, but don't tell anypony or I'll deny it!" Rainbow then hugged Scootaloo tight and said in a more emotional tone, "Take care of Tank while I'm gone, okay?"

"I will. Good luck, Rainbow Dash!"

The goodbyes were abruptly interrupted by Granny Smith hollering, "Well don't just stand there! Git going! The sooner y'all leave, the quicker y'all be back!"

Twilight and the rest of our heroes gathered together next to Discord, taking one last look at the rest of Ponyville; or what was left of it.

"Ready everypony?" Twilight asked.

"Ready when you are, Princess," Daring Do replied. They all disappeared in a flash of light. As soon as they were gone, Chuck sighed and said, "Well, that's that! Anyone need a drink? They're on the house, and I have drinks for both the adults and the foals."

* * *

TD sat upon Celestia's throne with a wicked grin on his face. He really enjoyed the interior decorating that he had done with the place. The red pillars of fire lining the walls and archways, the shifting cracks in the floors, and the stain glass windows that had the pictures of all the great deeds done in Equestria painted on them replaced with dark glass that no light shone through. It was gorgeous! And it was all his! A branded guard entered the room and said, "My lord, the prisoners are here as you asked."

"Bring them to me," he answered. The guard walked into the room, followed by a troop of other guards who carried Celestia and Luna in a large cage. The cage was set down in front of TD, who "snapped" his fingers and caused the cage to disappear. Instead, shackles and chains bound them now. TD smiled.

"Well, well, well! What a pitiful sight to behold! The once proud Princesses of Equestria subdued by a human from another world as if they were nothing. How unfortunate!"

"Enjoyeth thy victory while thou still can," Luna said angrily, "because the battle be not over yet! Twilight and her friends still opposeth thee!"

"Annnnd, we're back to this again," TD said with a sigh, "Look, admit that I've won and we can get this over with!"

"Get what over with, exactly?" Celestia asked, though she already knew what it was.

"Why bother telling you?" TD scoffed, "I already know what it is and so do you! Sorry readers! You'll have to guess this one out!"

TD raised his hand as he prepared to make a swiping motion at Celestia and Luna both, walking behind them as he did. Just then, he heard something teleport into the room behind him, followed by a quick, "Fus Roh Dah!" TD turned just in time to see Twilight and her friends standing in the room before being tossed back by the Shout. He smacked into a wall and lay there for a second as his mind conflicted with itself.

 _Twilight? Here? No!"_

 _ **Oh yes! Kick my flank, baby!**_

 _Shut up!_

 ** _No!_**

 _Okay!_

TD stood to his feet and approached the group of heroes that opposed him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked, pointing at Twilight.

"I'm here to do you a favor, TD," she replied, "You asked me to kick your flank the next time we met, so here I am!"

"Ha! You've got to be joking! You're joking, right?" TD asked.

"I want you back! We all do!" Twilight protested.

"I'm already here, my dear! Even a retard can see-"

"I want to see the TD that we called friend! I want to see the human who entertained us with his mischievousness; the one who helped Pinkie Pie overcome her fears; the one who comforted me when I was troubled inside; the one who was always there for me when I needed him the most!"

"That side of TD you saw was weak. I have suppressed him for now-"

 **"I beg to differ, jerk!"** TD's voice came out different he he seemed to struggle with himself.

"Hey, who told you to come out?!

 **"No one did."**

"Go back inside so I can deal with this!"

 **"You're hesitating! Why you hesitate?"**

"Stop that!"

He suddenly started punching himself in the face.

 **"Stop hitting thyself! Stop hitting thyself!"**

"Gah! Enough of this!" A shockwave of energy left him, and he stared dangerously at the group before him. "You want to fight? It. Is. ON."

TD blasted a burst of magic at the heroes, but they combined their magic into a shield that repelled the blast.

"What?! NO!"

TD tried again, but with the same results. Twilight then combined a magic blast with Starlight and they blasted TD in the face with it. TD stumbled back and suddenly slipped on the floor, which had turned into slippery soap suds under him, courtesy of Discord. While he was down, Phantom Void's Fire Wolves rushed him at once and started to attack him while he was down. TD shrieked in pain as the wolves started to tear at him with their teeth. TD knocked them off him with a blast of water and they disappeared in clouds of steam. Standing up, he was hit almost immediately by Cadence's blast and knocked to the floor again. Quickly, Daring Do tied him down with some rope she had provided, knocking him in the head for good measures before jumping back and shouting, "Now!" The Mane Six powered up and all those with magic fired a blast of magic at TD all at once. TD let out a cry of dismay as the magic engulfed him. The dust cleared, but only to reveal a burnt spot on the floor.

"Oh dear! We didn't kill him, did we?" Rarity asked.

Pinkie Pie suddenly got jittery and shouted, "Look out!"

But she was too late. A massive shockwave of energy came from the burnt spot and knocked all of them back, powering them down at the same time. TD rose out of the burnt spot and shouted, "ENOUGH! This ends now!" He quickly rushed over to Celestia and grabbed her by the throat. She struggled to break free, but to no avail. A floating video screen appeared across the sky in front of him and he looked up at it. All over Equestria, everypony could see a similar screen floating above them relaying a live footage of the scene at the Canterlot Palace.

"Take a good look at your Princess, Equestrians!" TD said to the magic screen, "Take a good long look, 'cause this is where her story ends!"

A sickly green sphere of energy appeared in TD's hand as he let go of Celestia and stepped back. He then threw the magic sphere at her. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as everypony saw it going towards Celestia. There was nothing that could be done, and they knew it. It was all over...

At the last possible second, a flash of magic appeared between the sphere of energy and Celestia, revealing it to be Twilight Sparkle who had teleported in front of the sphere. It struck her body and seemed to absorb itself inside her. She stumbled, her eyes started drooping closed, and a horrified expression crossed the faces of all who watched. It took all who watched, both in person and from the video, a second to register what had happened. It was all too clear when they heard a cry from the villain who had struck the blow.

"TWILIGHT!"

As Twilight's figure fell to the floor, TD rushed over to her and caught her just before her head hit the ground. His skin changed abruptly back to normal (it was deathly pale before), his dragon wings disappeared, and his face showed a mixture of emotions: anger, worry, sadness, bitterness, but more importantly, remorse.

"No..." he whispered, his hand brushing across her cheek to see if she was still conscious. When she didn't move, he shouted louder. "NO! You egghead, why did you do that?!"

Around Equestria, some ponies couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Oh no..." a mare from Manehatten gasped.

"Not the Princess!" a stallion in Cloudsdale cried.

"Nice," Chuck said sarcastically back in Ponyville. "Great job, ya putz."

Everyone else watched him in silent disbelief and sadness as to what they were seeing. TD desperately pulled out his Fire Flower from nowhere and started to sing the healing incantation desperately, but before he even got through the first two verses, a miniature explosion erupted between Twilight and the Flower, forcing TD to put it away. He then closed his eyes and started trembling in anger as he said himself, "Which spell did you use?"

The vampire fangs and red eyes disappeared, and his dark side appeared beside him. The dark personality angrily replied, "Does it matter?! I am supposed to be in charge! You have no ri-"

"WHICH SPELL DID YOU USE!?" TD demanded, his voice amplified beyond even that of Luna's Royal Canterlot voice.

"Th- the one that you can't reverse," the dark personality said in a fearful voice. TD said nothing at first, then he angrily said in a commanding voice, "Get out."

"Excuse me?" the darker side of him asked.

"You heard! You had your fun! GO!" TD ordered, "And if she dies, you're never coming back on my watch! NEVER!"

The dark personality suddenly turned into a stream of darkness and was absorbed by TD's body. TD looked up at the screen he had summoned and noticed that he was still live. But he only seemed to briefly acknowledge this and didn't bother to make it disappear. Turning to some branded guards nearby, he said tearfully, "Men, you are relieved of duty." A surge of energy left the guards and they were restored back to normal. TD then looked at Celestia and Luna, both of whom were now free of their bonds.

"I hereby...surrender my control of Equestria back over to the Equestrians. Do not make the same mistakes I did."

He then buried his face into Twilight's mane and sobbed uncontrollably. As he did, another surge of energy left him and spread over all of Equestria, reversing the damage he had done. Even in Ponyville, the Castle of Friendship was restored along with everything in it. All of his chaos disappeared as the lands returned back to normal. TD continued to sob, not caring that all of Equestria and her allies were watching or what would happen next. All he cared about was Twilight. The spell used on her couldn't be cured. She had to survive through it herself.

And if she didn't pull through by the next day, she'd be gone for good.

* * *

"He's still in there, isn't he?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Eeyup," Applejack stated. She was standing in front of one of the bedrooms in the Canterlot Palace with her friends, who crowded around the door. Her expression was sorrowful, but she didn't cry. Applejack was one of those who usually cried on the inside, and until she knew Twilight's final condition, it would stay that way in this situation. All her friends were expressing their grief in their own ways too. Phantom Void and Daring Do stood off to the side, but they too were clearly just as bad as the rest. Daring Do had tears falling from her eyes, though she didn't seem to cry aloud. Phantom Void was silent, but his eyes were closed and his expression was grim.

"Can't we do anything to help him?" Flutteshy asked.

"I tried that, darling, but he's sealed himself in with her. Even Discord can't get through." Rarity had tears in her eyes, but she wasn't crying just yet.

"She's still alive, but barely," Pinkie Pie said softly. They all turned to her, noticing her uncharacteristically grave expression and tone. Her disguise was still not pulled up yet, but it was still apparent that she was faring just as badly as they were.

"How do you know that?" Rainbow Dash asked tearfully, yet a small spark of hope had appeared in her eyes.

"Changelings can sense the emotions of others," Pinkie explained, "They can also tell if someone's dying or not, technically speaking. Her emotions are at very weak levels, suggesting that she's on the brink of death. But it seems that she's still holding on. She just might make it."

"I hope you're right, Pinkie Pie," Starlight said hopefully, looking at the door. "For his sake, I hope you are right."

 **Inside the bedroom...**

Twilight lay upon the large bed, looking rather sickly. TD was in the room with her, and he was not faring well. He either sat by the bed next to her, or paced around the room, or even threw a tantrum of some kind. Every time, he kept on speaking.

Sometimes, it was sad and pleading like: "Please let her live! Please!"

Other times, it was angry and hateful words towards himself: "IT'S YOUR FAULT IF SHE DIES AND YOU LIVE!"

This continued all that day and on into the night. TD didn't eat or sleep, never leaving Twilight's side. The next day, the day that the spell wore off, he was still there, and he looked terrible. A heartbeat scanner was attached to Twilight's arm, but it was showing that her heart wasn't stopped beating. TD buried his head into the covers and whispered one last time, "Please, just let her live. I don't care what happens to me next, just let her live." He then burst into tears again. It was all over for him. He had lost her, before he had been given the chance to tell her how he felt. How much he loved her...

Just then, a heartbeat was heard on the scanner. TD lifted his head to see if he had been dreaming. Then it happened again. And again. And again. A steady heartbeat showed on the scanner before disappearing in a flash. Twilight's sickly color disappeared and she stirred a bit. Twilight opened her eyes and looked at TD, who was hanging his head in shame.

"I- I'm so sorry. I know it's not much of an excuse for what I've done, but it's all I can say. I don't care what you do to me anymore; I'm just happy that you're alive. I understand if you are going to punish me, but whatever it is, I'll take it. I just hope that-"

He was interrupted by the sound of her horn powering up and he opened his eyes to see himself engulfed with her magic. Before he could react, Twilight brought him up on the bed next to her and hugged him tightly, wings and all. TD was surprised.

"How could you be so forgiving? I thought that you'd be mad at me, and-"

"Oh William!" Twilight said softly and kindly, "I was never mad at you. I was sad, because I thought that you had lost your way."

"I did lose the way, Twi."

"But you found it again. And that's all that matters. I forgive you for everything."

TD smiled in thankful gratitude and returned the embrace. Twilight nuzzled herself into him as he stroked her mane and coat in a loving manner. They stayed there for a minute or two, before they reluctantly pulled apart. TD wiped his tears from his eyes and said, "There's one last thing that I must do. With your permission, I'd like to have you by my side when I do it."

* * *

"...whatever that punishment may be, I'll bear it."

TD stood before Celestia and Luna giving them his hearfelt apology for all that he had done. Twilight stood beside him, offering a comforting presence in front of the two sisters who ruled Equestria. They looked knowingly at each other, then Celestia spoke.

"We've been talking about this, TD, and we believe that what you went through while Twilight was recovering was punishment enough. You may continue to remain here in Equestria with our blessing."

TD smiled in slight relief and humbly replied, "Thank you, your Majesties. I will try to make it up to you. To all of you. That is, if you'll have me."

TD turned to his friends who had been watching from the sidelines and they all came over to him in a group hug. TD had to make a conscious effort not to burst with joy (literally) as he hugged them back. He was fortunate to have so many good friends to back him up and support him in his time of need.

But could he keep this up? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that his journey had only just begun.

* * *

 **Two days. That's how long it took for me to make this. Not easy, but it's worth the effort!**

 **Stay tuned, a technical part three may be coming up.**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Peace out!**


	14. Confessions Finally Revealed

**This can technically be seen as Part Three to "The Return of His Darkness", but since it's after all that stuff it can also be seen as a standalone chapter.**

 **Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

TD was leaving Equestria.

He had hurt those he loved far too much this time, and he didn't want to do it again. Granted, he was under the influence of his dark side at the time, and after his defeat his dark side started to like his friends too, but he didn't want to take any chances. It wasn't just for his friends sake, however. It was mostly for _her_. He couldn't bear to see her get hurt because of him. But that was the bigger issue. He hadn't told her yet.

How much she meant to him...

* * *

Twilight was confused. TD wasn't anywhere in the Castle today, but he had left behind a flower and a note saying that he'd be gone. It had not taken long for the alicorn to put two and two together of what he meant. And it hurt her inside. Twilight didn't want him to go. Never had she felt this way before...

No, she had once, but it hadn't ended well. She couldn't be feeling that way towards him, could she? She had promised herself that she'd never fall in love again.

 _Then what, pray tell, are you feeling for him?_

"Twilight? Are you okay?" Applejack's voice said behind her. Twilight turned to see her friends, the Mane Six, standing before her. She couldn't help but notice that Pinkie Pie had finally decided to put on her disguise again. Not that it really mattered; everypony in Ponyville knew that Pinkie Pie was truly a Changeling. Only outside of Ponyville did it ever turn into a problem. Twilight smiled and said, "It's nothing girls. I'm just a little tired-"

"Oh, no you don't!" Rainbow Dash cut in. "Every time you say that, it means that there _is_ something going on and you just want to avoid it! Well not this time!"

Twilight sighed in defeat. It was true.

"This problem of yours wouldn't happen to be concerning TD, would it darling?" Rarity asked.

"Wha? How'd you- I mean, why would you think that?"

"Oh come on, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "We've all seen how you look at him! Besides, it's kinda obvious that you love him!"

"That can't be! I promised myself to never love again, since growing up. But, I don't want him to leave, and whenever he's close to me I feel so strange, but in a good way! Oh, what's wrong with me? You'd think that I'd learn by now!"

"Did, uh, something happen to you Twilight?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"A stallion broke my heart. But that was before I met any of you. I vowed never to fall in love again after that."

*que song*

 **Twilight:** _If there's a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that._

 _No stallion's worth the aggravation. That's ancient history._

 _Been there. Done that._

 **Mane Six:** _Who d' ya think you're kiddin'?  
_ _He's the earth and heaven to you,  
_ _Try to keep it hidden.  
_ _Honey, we can see right through you._

 _(Oh nooo!)_

 _Girl, you can't conceal it!  
_ _We know how you're feel, and who you're thinking of!_

 _(Oooh!)_

 **Twilight:** _No chance, no way!  
_ _I won't say it, no no!_

 **M6:** _You swoon,_ you _sigh!  
_ _Why deny it? Uh oh!_

 **Twilight:** _It's too cliche!  
_ _I won't say I'm in love._

Twilight moved out onto the balcony of the castle and looked down into the streets of Ponyville with the Mane Six close behind. She looked around at some other couples having a good time together.

 _I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out.  
_ _My head is screaming, 'Get a grip, girl, unless you're dying to cry your heart out!'  
_ _Oooh!_

 **M6:** _You keep on denying who you are and how you're feeling.  
_ _Baby, we're not buying!  
_ _Hun, we saw ya hit the ceiling._

 _(Oooh!)_

 _Face it like a grownup!  
_ _When ya gonna own up that you got, got, got it bad?_

 **Twilight:** _Oooh!  
_ _No chance, no way!  
_ _I won't say it, no no!_

 **M6:** _Give up, give in!  
_ _Check the grin, you're in love!_

 **Twilight:** _The scene won't play!  
_ _I won't say I'm in love!_

 **M6:** _You're doing flips!  
_ _Read our lips, you're in love!_

Twilight looked away from the streets and sat down on a chair that had been situated on the balcony.

 **Twilight:** _You're way off base!  
_ _I won't say it!_

 _(She won't say in love!)_

 _Get off my case,  
_ _I won't say it!_

 **M6:** _Girl, don't be proud!  
_ _It's okay, you're in love!_

Pinkie Pie placed the flower TD had given to Twilight in front of her. Twilight glared at the flower initially, but then her expression softened into a smile as she picked it up with her magic.

 **Twilight:** _Oooh!  
_ _At least out loud, I won't say I'm in love._

*end song*

Twilight held up the flower and let out a sigh. Okay, the girls were right! She was in love with him, there was no denying it any more. She suddenly straightened. He said he was leaving! She'd never see him again if he did.

"Well?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Huh?"

"Go to him, darling!" Rarity finished. "Catch him and tell him how you feel! There's still time!"

Twilight nodded and teleported away from the Castle. The girls weren't exactly sure where she went, but they knew that she was going to find TD and finally tell him the truth.

* * *

TD held back his tears as he opened the portal in front of him. He was really going to miss everypony, but he felt that he couldn't risk their safety any longer. It didn't help that he hadn't told her yet, but then again she never told him herself. Perhaps she didn't feel the same way towards him. Just then, TD could hear her voice coming from afar.

"William! Wait!"

"Twi, no," he whispered to himself so she wouldn't hear. He heard her land behind him, but didn't turn to face her.

"Go back, Twi. I'm leaving this world."

"Please don't leave!" Twilight pleaded. "There's so much that I haven't said, so much I wish I said!"

"It's pointless to argue, Twilight. I'm doing this to keep you safe, from me. Besides, what could you possibly say that would change my mind?"

TD took a few steps towards the swirling portal and Twilight kept calling to him.

"No, stop! Please don't leave me! I- I-" Darn it Twi, why can't you just tell him! Say it! "I love you!"

TD stopped in his tracks and stood still, never turning towards her.

"You- what?"

"It's true," Twilight said, growing more open to the subject as she went on, "I didn't realize it at first, but then I started to remember all the times we've spent together. The times when we were alone, when you stroked my mane, even recently after what happened to me with your spell. I-I miss you whenever you're gone, and I can't bear to think how I'd feel if you left for good. William, after what happened between me and that stallion, I thought that I'd never fall in love again. But then you came and changed that. I used to hate you, but now I can't imagine a life without you..." Twilight finished in a whisper. "Please, I don't want that feeling to go away! I don't want to forget!"

Twilight saw TD stand there silently for a period of time, then he suddenly started crying. The portal disappeared as he sobbed and Twilight wondered what was wrong.

"William?"

TD turned to face Twilight. His eyes were full of tears and some streamed down his cheeks, but a big smile was on his face. As Twilight started to register what it meant, TD beat her to it.

"It's about time you came clean, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight was overcome with joy at this, but asked one more question first.

"Then, you love me too?"

"Of course I do. If anything Twilight, I love you too much."

Music started to play out of nowhere, suggesting that TD's chaos magic had tuned into his emotions. He started to sing:

 _I love you too much to leave without you loving me back.  
_ _I love you too much. Heaven's my witness and this is a fact  
_ _I know I belong when I sing this song.  
_ _There's love above love and it's ours, 'cause I love you too much._

 _I live for your touch. I whisper your name night after night.  
_ _I love you too much. There's only one feeling and I know it's right.  
_ _I know I belong when I sing this song.  
_ _There's love above love and it's ours, 'cause I love you too much._

 _Heaven knows your name I've been praying  
_ _To have you come here by my side.  
_ _Without you a part of me's missing.  
_ _Just to make you my home I will fight._

 _I looove you too much!  
_ _I love you too much. Heaven's my witness and this is a fact  
_ _You live in my soul, your heart is my goal._

 _There's love above love and it's mine, 'cause I love you_

 _There's love above love and it's yours, 'cause I love you_

 _There's love above love and it's ours, if you love me as much._

TD finished the song and looked Twilight in the eyes as he did. Twilight felt like her heart was going to melt with happiness.

"Oh William! That was beautiful! And I do love you as much. But, how can we make this work? What will others think?"

"Who cares what they think? As long as we have each other, that's good enough for me. As to making it work, I thought we'd just wing it. No pun intended."

Twilight giggled a bit, then found herself moving closer to him. TD wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace and she returned it in her own way, her wings acting as a soft canvas that shielded their faces from view. Because of their size differences, Twilight ended up standing on her hind legs to reach him, but it didn't matter to her. And in this position, they shared a passionate kiss, but this time it was much better than the one that TD had given her a few days ago. This time, there was no ominous threats hanging above them, no rush, no interventions, no worries at all. It was just the two of them, alone in their love for each other. TD deepened the kiss a bit as he ran one of his hands through her mane in a gentle caressing motion, and he felt a sigh escape her body. When they finally pulled apart, they were grinning like a couple of fools.

"Wow," TD muttered happily, "that was- wow!"

Twilight simply blushed and turned her head slightly away from him. She then asked, "So, who should we tell first?"

TD smiled and transformed into his pony form.

"Well, the girls will definitely need to know. So will Chuck, Spike, and Discord. But, I think that if you'd like we can keep it between the two of us and continue the routine we unintentionally pulled on each other in public. But alone, well that's up to you."

Twilight smiled back and put a hooves around him. TD looked at her for a second and said, "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think he finally likes you."

Twilight knew he was speaking about his dark side, but for once it didn't scare her. She knew that if his dark side loved her too (or at the least liked her enough to not complain), then she needn't worry about him taking over again. As if to confirm her beliefs, TD's image shifted slightly to reveal a darker form of himself staring at her with the same loving gaze as the human that stood before her. Twilight gave him a playful wink and said, "Come on! Let's go for a little flying!"

TD transformed into his Changeling form and said playfully, "Oh, it is on like Donkey Kong!"

Laughing, the two lovers flew up high into the sky and flew back in the direction of Ponyville.

* * *

 **Definitely worth the effort! I originally planned to have them reveal their feelings for each other WAY later, but decided that it would make it a bit painful to read. After all, it was painfully obvious that they loved each other early on, so postponing their confessions would've been a bore.**

 _ **impressionsguy,**_ **thank you for your support and your conversations on this story as well as your own! For any of you who haven't done so yet, I recommend checking out his content, especially his main story "Equestria's New Comedian". From what I hear, he plans to put TD into his story just like I put Chuck, his OC, into mine.**

 **Thanks for reading! I really appreciate your support! Cya next time!**

 **Edit: Songs used**

 **"I won't say I'm in love" from** **Disney's** **_Hercules_**

 **"I love you too much" from the _Book of Life_**


	15. Shadow Play - Part Two

**I'll be honest, there's a bit of a time skip here between this chapter and the last one I did. It's going to go unexplained for awhile, and here's why: I'm planning on making another story eventually that is essentially a large crossover story, but I want to complete some other stories that explains TD's doings in other worlds involved in the crossover before trying it out. It won't be for a long time, so you'll have to be patient.**

 **Thanks for understanding. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **This chapter is (more or less) an episode driven chapter based on the Season 7 finale "Shadow Play - Part Two".**

* * *

TD really hated being the victim of evil doing. It was fun if you were the one in charge, but if you're a prisoner in your own body it's torturous. He'd never forget the words that Twilight had called him before she knew the truth; "You monster!" she had said. It hurt at the time, but TD didn't really blame her. All was forgiven, but he still didn't like that.

TD had just returned from a little trip to another world that he'd been forced to take to save it. Apparently, because of the way time worked in Equestria, he had missed out on a lot of things. During his absence, Chrysalis had tried to attack again, but was foiled by Starlight Glimmer, Trixe, Thorax and Discord. Thorax had become the king of the new "reformed" Changelings, and Spike had somehow managed to make a declaration of Friendship to both Ember (representing the dragons) and Thorax (representing the Changelings). TD clenched his fists when he remembered the details that both Twilight and Starlight had given to him about Chrysalis's attack.

"That overgrown house fly-snake hybrid! I should track her down to the very edges of this world and turn her into glue!"

He calmed himself down by breathing into a bag labeled "cool down". He then tried to remember what Twilight was doing today. TD then remembered; Twilight was trying to do a spell that would free her idol, Starswirl the Bearded, and his friends from a thousand-year-old imprisonment. He hoped that she knew what she was doing. TD had learned from personal experience that sometimes, there's a very good reason to why someone would be locked away, especially one of the good guys. Suddenly, he felt a force enter Equestria in the form of darkness of some kind. TD wasn't too surprised at first nor was he worried. Twilight had faced plenty of evil stuff before and she had pulled through. Still, this thing seemed to outclass some of the other villains she'd faced before. Just then, TD felt a huge energy surge as something of ancient power was destroyed. At that, TD didn't care what that thing was. Twilight was in trouble! Without a moment's hesitation, TD made a hold appear in the ground under his feet and he disappeared down it before the hole closed up again.

* * *

"There! Without the power of Ponehenge, your banishing spell is useless!"

The Pony of Shadows scoffed the Mane Seven and the Pillars, having destroyed the only link to banishing him that they knew about. Twilight was still trying to wrap her head around what was happening. She had accidentally released this beast when she had attempted to save Starswirl from his thousand-year-old imprisonment. The thing had turned the sunny sky dark and destroyed both Ponehenge and Starswirl's spell book, preventing any means to banish him again.

"You've studied my writings! Surely you must have some other plan!" Starswirl said angrily to Twilight.

"No, I just wanted to save you! I didn't think-"

"Don't fret! When I extinguish the light and hope of this miserable world, you won't remember any of this!"

The Pony of Shadows lifted his head and fired a burst of dark energy at Starswirl.

"No!" Twilight shouted as she countered with her own blast. An explosion erupted between the two blasts and the Pony of Shadows cried out in pain.

"This one's almost as strong as you, Starswirl," the dark pony stated, "But even in my weakened state, she cannot stop the might of shadows!"

He fired another blast at Twilight, this time pushing her own back until it was almost touching her own horn. Just when it seemed she had lost, another blast intercepted the dark blast.

"Lucky for her, she's not alone!" Starlight said, her own blast connecting with his dark blast. Together, she and Twilight pushed back against his blast, bringing it back to his horn. But suddenly, the Pony of Shadows laughed and pushed back with unbelievable strength. Starlight and Twilight were both too surprised to react. Another magical discharge erupted between them, knocking the two ponies to the ground.

""Enough of this! Now, you will know the true might of shadows!"

Yet another blast fired from the Shadow's horn and this time none of the girls could react in time to stop it. Thankfully, they didn't have to worry. Before the blast had reached halfway, a bolt of red lightning fell from the sky and intercepted the blast, causing another discharge and actually knocking the Shadow back a few feet. Twilight knew of only one _person_ who could do that, and she guess was deemed correct when a familiar two-legged form appeared in front of the Pony of Shadows.

"William!" she called.

"Hey, Twi! What's up?"

The Pony of Shadows growled and tried to shoot another blast, this time at TD. However, TD easily blocked the blast with his hand and yawned.

"My turn," he said. He made the shape of a gun with his fingers and fired a single blast of magic at the Pony of Shadows. The Shadow tried to block the attack, but in vain as it easily pushed aside his attempts to block it and hit him square in the forehead. The Shadow cried in pain and Starswirl stepped forward.

"Know this, fiend! We will not rest until we find a way to return you to Limbo!"

"Never! You're disglorious too, Starswirl! Now my dark power will reign, and you six will bow to me!"

The Pony of Shadows dissolved into a puddle of darkness and flew up into the dark clouds above. The skies immediately cleared up.

"Um, where'd he go?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That is a riddle we must unravel, and quickly!" an orange Egyptian clothed pegasus said. TD guessed her to be Somnambula, one of the legendary six ponies known as the Pillars. Standing around her, other than Starswirl, was Flash Magnus, Rockhoof, Mistmane, and Mage Meadowbrook.

"How long have we been gone?" Meadowbrook asked.

"Over a thousand years," Fluttershy said. Most of the Pillars widened their eyes in shock, but Starswirl simply smiled and lifted his head proudly.

"Then my spell worked, before it was meddled with," he said, glaring at Twilight, "and the realm has been at peace for over a millennia."

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie dashed over to him. She pulled out the book that recorded the Mane Six's deeds.

"Well, we did have to save everypony from Nightmare Moon, and Discord, and Chrysalis, and King Sombra, and Lord Tirek, and there was that one time *pulled Starlight to her* when Starlight traveled through time and almost destroyed life as we know it! *pushed Starlight away* But that's all in the past!"

Flash Magnus looked at Rainbow Dash and said, "If you are truly this accomplished, we will stop the Pony of Shadows twice as fast together!"

"We shall see," Starswirl said, "It is an easy thing to _say_ you have saved the world, it is quite another to do it."

At this, TD (who had been glaring at Starswirl) got into his face and said, "Oh, they've saved the world alright! I can testify. Heck, before I became reformed, these girls had to defeat me three times. Three!"

"Be that as it may," Starswirl said as he pushed TD away from him, "the problem of locating the Pony of Shadows still remains, and this land is vast."

"It sounds like you need a map," Rarity stated, "Luckily, we have just the thing!"

"Oh great!" TD muttered to himself, "We're taking mister 'high and mighty' over to our place! How could this _not_ end horribly?"

* * *

"Something about this magic seems familiar," Starswirl said thoughtfully as he looked down at the map in the Castle of Friendship. He cast a spell on the map and a holographic image of the Tree of Harmony appeared in the center. Everyone except for TD gasped in amazement.

"Did you know he could do that?" Rarity asked Twilight.

"He's Starswirl!" Twilight replied back, "He can do anything!"

"Doubt it," TD said aloud as he floated above their heads. He had reverted back to his pony form, but noticeably didn't have his sunglasses on. As a result, his draconic eyes gazed down at Starswirl in a rather intimidating way. Starswirl ignored this and continued.

"This map, and indeed this very castle, are grown from the seed we planted over a thousand years ago!"

"Then it did work!" Rockhoof stated, slamming a hoof down on the table.

"What worked?" Sunburst asked.

"Each of us infused a crystal seed with our magic," Somnabula explained, "in hopes that it would grow into a force for good."

"We wanted to leave something to protect the realm in our absence," Mistmane added, "but we never dreamed that our gift would become so powerful."

"Y'all mean the Elements came from you?" Applejack asked. At the confused looks of the Pillars, Pinkie Pie chimed in, "You know, the sparkly crystal things that grow from the Tree of Harmony and represent each of us!"

Pinkie Pie rushed around the room showing off each of her friends in a different way as she explained the Elements that they represented: "Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness and Magic!"

Somnabula seemed to be thinking, then she said, "They are reflections of our own Elements of Hope, Strength, Beauty, Bravery, Healing, and Sorcery."

Starswirl apparently didn't want to talk to Twilight even now, because when she gave him a hopeful smile, he simply lifted his head high and closed his eyes. Twilight got a hurtful face, so TD floated down to her and placed one of his hooves on her shoulder.

"We had no idea our small seed would bloom into the living spirit of the land!" Meadowbrook stated. "Ah am glad our mantels have passed to such capable ponies."

"More importantly," Starswirl said abruptly, almost interrupting Meadowbrook, "we no longer need Ponehenge to send our foe back to Limbo. We can use the stored magic in this Tree of Harmony."

"But doesn't a banishing spell take a lot of power?" Twilight asked, "We'd have to sacrifice the Elements for that."

"Mhm!"

"They'd be gone forever?" Fluttershy asked.

"Starswirl, I don't think that the Tree can survive without the Elements. If it dies, Equestria will suffer."

"It's true!" TD agreed.

"If the Pony of Shadows has his way," Starswirl stated, "your land will not exist! So unless you have a better idea..."

"How about I help?" TD suggested. "I don't believe that I can kill the Pony of Shadows, but he is no match for my power. Also, I happen to know a few banishing spells myself that could help."

"You defeated him while he was weak. It's highly unlikely that you can even perform a proper banishing spell," Starswirl said to TD, before using his spell to return the map to normal.

"I really don't like you," TD said aloud, glaring at Starswirl as he did. Meanwhile, the map revealed several dark swirling clouds above different areas in Equestria.

"Our foe will seek dark places from which to draw power. I will prepare my spell so that we may strike as soon as you find him!"

"What are we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash asked

"I like your spirit!" Magnus said to her.

Everyone else gave their agreements. TD and Starlight noticed Twilight sneaking out during the commotion. Of the two, TD was the more saddened to see her crestfallen. But instead of going after her, his attention turned towards a certain bearded pony in the room.

* * *

Starswirl started preparing the spell to banish the Pony of Shadows, unaware that TD was still in the Castle with him. That is, until TD's magic pulled the scroll he was reading down and a pair of intimidating draconic eyes stared into his own.

"Excuse me, but I'm busy at the moment!" Starswirl angrily said as he tried to pull back the scroll. However, he found that he couldn't, as if this odd pony's magic was far more powerful than his own. TD simply intensified the glare, not even fazed by Starswirl's attempts to return the scroll. Much like Twilight, Starswirl's magic was child's play in his eyes and easily taken care of.

"What is your problem?" TD asked Starswirl angrily, "Why do you have to act all 'big and important' to the point of being a total jerk?"

"I am trying to save this world from the Pony of Shadows! I'm sorry if I can't be nicer to others!"

"Well you should! Even in my world, people don't like it when you act that way!"

"You're not from Equestria, are you?"

"It's the eyes, isn't it? It's always the eyes. Even without them, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm not from this world! Look, the point is that I don't care how many great things you've done, because you're certainly not giving yourself a very splendid figure to match your deeds! All your pride has gotten to your head and it's clouded your judgement! Now you go about downtrodding the pony who brought you back to Equestria! Sure, she unleashed the Pony of Shadows, but she didn't intend anything bad out of it!"

"If that foolish filly hadn't meddled with my spell, the realm would still be safe! She's nothing but an adle-brained mare who has no business-"

*Crash!*

Starswirl suddenly found himself pinned to the walls of the Castle by TD's magic. He tried to free himself, but in vain. TD got into his face, and Starswirl looked into his eyes again. It was then that Starswirl saw the truth in his eyes just as Sombra had, and he trembled in fear. TD spoke, and his voice sounded quite menacing.

"Listen here, Mister Bearded! That 'adle-brained mare' is my girlfriend, or marefriend in your tongue! She happens to be the smartest pony I've met in this world! She's also sweet, understanding, forgiving, and kind...and the most gorgeous creature I've met yet! Anyone or anything that tries to take her from me will not succeed...and live to tell the tale! I love her with all my heart and she loves me too! So next time you say something about her, it'd better be good! Otherwise, I suggest you watch your back, because I'll be preying upon you!"

TD then abruptly released Starswirl and disappeared in a large fiery explosion. Starswirl sat there for a few minutes longer, still trembling. He had just looked into the eyes of a being that was comparable to a god in their realm. His power was beyond anything that Starswirl could ever dream, and so old that the immortal life of even the oldest dragon in Equestria seemed like a grain of sand on a beach. Starswirl knew nothing about this being, but he knew at least one thing.

He feared The Terror of Dimensions more than he feared the Pony of Shadows.

* * *

Some time later, the ponies and human all assembled in the room with the map.

"It seems there are fewer dark corners in the realm these days."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"True," Magnus added, "The Pony of Shadows will have a hard time regaining power. When he rears his head, we'll be ready!"

He and RD slammed their mugs together.

"Isn't there some way to banish him without losing all of you?" Fluttershy asked Meadowbrook. Meadowbrook sighed.

"Ah wish there were, but to save our home we are willing to leave it."

Just then, the doors burst open and Twilight came into the room. She had a scroll levitating in front of her. Behind her, Starlight and Spike followed at a slower pace.

"I don't think you'll have to! My spell isn't finished yet, but I think that we can send the Pony of Shadows to Limbo without all of you having to go as well!"

She set the scroll down on the table in front of Starswirl and beamed a big smile.

"While I appreciate your enthusiasm Twilight," Starswirl said dismissively, moving the scroll away from him and causing Twilight to back away in defeat, "this is hardly the time to take risks on half-baked spells."

Twilight got a crestfallen face upon hearing this. TD glared at Starswirl furiously. He was just about to rush over to him and give him a piece of his mind. Thankfully, his friends beat him to it.

"Beggin' your pardon, Mister D'bearded," Applejack said angrily, "but Twilight doesn't do anything halfway!"

"Especially not magic!" Pinkie added, doing a dramatic waving of her hooves on "magic".

"Seriously," Rainbow Dash joined in, "she got her wings by finishing one of _your_ spells!"

"I think you'll find her work is worth reading before you dismiss it out of hoof!" Rarity chimed in.

"Mhm!" Fluttershy agreed.

TD didn't say anything, but simply joined Twilight and stood by her side with a hoof around her. He had gone with his Changeling form this time, so was a bit odd and startling, but it was clear that he supported her too. He glared at Starswirl as they waited for his response.

Meadowbrook took a look at the spell, then said to Starswirl, "While it is an unconventional approach, I believe it could work."

"Hmmm," Starswirl said as he examined the scroll, "I suppose there is a chance."

"But we still have no idea where to find the villain," Sunburst stated. Twilight started to think on that, but was interrupted by the sound of her Cutie Mark and the girls' too making the noise they normally did whenever the map called them. Mirror images of their Cutie Marks floated from their flanks down onto the map, stopping above a certain location.

"Maybe we should try there?" Spike suggested.

"Why do I feel that it wasn't a coincidence that they did that when they did?" TD asked.

"The Hollow Shades...Ah think a branch of the Apple family lives there," Applejack said.

"They'd have to be pretty distant," Sunburst said, "The Hollow Shades was abandoned eons ago."

"Hmmm, that's odd," Rarity stated, "The only time the map has called all of us to one place was Starlight's village."

"So, it's like a super villain tracker!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly. She then seemed to realize what she had said, so she looked back at Starlight and said, "No offense!"

Starlight raised an eyebrow at her.

"Wait a minute, then how come _you_ never showed up on the map?" Applejack asked TD.

"I used a rather powerful spell to keep me off the radar, so to speak. That, and because I have both a good _and_ evil personality, it helped to confuse the map a bit. It partly saw me as a friend and not a villain."

"Do you think the map could be trying to tell us where the Pony of Shadows is?" Twilight asked Starswirl.

"Hmmm, the Tree of Harmony acting to protect the light of the realm...yes! A good thought, Twilight."

Twilight got an odd face of recognition when he said that. TD didn't really know how to explain it, but he found it both cute and funny. Starswirl continued.

"I will make my notes on this spell. Ready yourselves for battle!"

"Uh, I know I'm not as experienced as all of you, but is banishment really the only option?" Starlight asked, "I mean, it's been a long time. Maybe the Pony of Shadows is ready to talk?"

"I doubt that we can save our homeland with a conversation!" Starswirl stated.

"But we could try!"

"She has a point, ya know," TD joined in, "Back in my world, we do stuff like that all the time just to prevent wars. You'd be surprised how often it works!"

"Starlight, TD, I'm sure Starswirl and the others did try," Twilight said.

"For some reason, I find that hard to believe," TD muttered.

"The Pony of Shadows was not interested in reconciliation!" Starswirl said, "Once a villain, always a villain. Twilight, Sunburst! Would you accompany me? I wish to refine this spell for our use."

Starswirl and everypony else left the room, except for TD, Starlight and Spike.

"Come! We must prepare for the struggle ahead!" Rockhoof shouted before leaving the room.

"I can't stress enough how much I really hate that guy," TD said to Starlight.

"I know Starswirl is a great wizard, but this whole plan seems wrong," Starlight said. "The map has only sent us to solve friendship problems."

"Maybe so," Spike replied, "but the Pony of Shadows doesn't really seem like the 'friendship type'."

"Honestly, we don't know anything about him."

Well, nopony does."

Starlight smirked and said, "That's not entirely true."

Knowing what she was getting at, TD grinned mischievously. "Starlight Glimmer, even when you're reformed you still have some of your past self shine through you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, grinning back knowingly. She and Spike walked towards the direction the Pillars had gone down. TD didn't follow them, however. He had seen the Season Seven finale before, and he already knew Stygian's story. Even so, he also was aware that his presence in Equestria had created an alternate timeline, so some things could've changed. TD may not have known everything, but he knew enough to correctly guess that Stygian's story wouldn't change.

* * *

Twilight, Sunburst, and Starswirl searched through the large stacks of books in the library as they worked on perfecting the spell Twilight had offered. Starlight entered the library with TD close behind her in his human form. Seeing the large stack of books about the place, Starlight said, "That looks like a lot of work."

"It is what must be done," Starswirl said impatiently, "and it would be best if we were not disturbed."

Starlight looked offended, which wasn't too surprising. TD kept glaring at Starswirl, as if he was hoping to bore holes into him with his eyesight. Considering what he could do, it wouldn't be surprising if he actually did manage to do just that.

"I'm sorry Starlight, but we can't stop to talk. The stakes are too high and we have to-"

"Banish Stygian to Limbo. I get it!"

"Uh, who?" Sunburst asked.

"Stygian was the name the Pony of Shadows gave up when he turned to darkness." Starswirl stated, still engrossed in the book he was reading.

"And I'm just trying to figure out why."

Starswirl closed the book abruptly and replied with, "Envy! He wanted more power than he had, and that desire led him down a path from which there's no return!"

"I know from experience that's not always true! *To Twilight* When the map called you six to my village, it was to fix a friendship problem. Are you sure this is different?"

"I-"

"Stygian wants to destroy all that is good in this world! There's no way to befriend a pony like that!"

Starswirl walked off in a huff. Starlight turned to Twilight and said with tears in her eyes, "I guess I'm lucky your idol wasn't around when you decided to be my friend. I might've been banished to Limbo too." She then left the library without another word.

"She has a point, you know," TD said softly. "I traveled down the same path Stygian travels now, but that didn't stop you from changing my heart Twi. I can't stop you or Starswirl this time, but I can simply leave you with some advice. Thorax managed to become your friend when everypony still believed that all Changelings were evil; Discord became your friend after Fluttershy managed to change his heart; and I became more than your friend when you gave me the chance. Who says that Stygian can't end the same way?"

TD smiled supportingly at Twilight before his body dissolved into thousands of particles that flew away in an invisible wind.

* * *

TD found Starlight crying in another room of the Castle. He walked in quietly and knocked lightly on the door. Starlight turned to see who it was, and when she saw TD standing there, she didn't object to him being there. TD smiled comfortingly and offered Starlight a hug. Starlight didn't object and continued to sob while in the embrace. TD stroked her mane a bit as she sobbed, but it was different from when he stroked Twilight's mane. Whenever he did it with Twilight, it was usually to cause some kind of pleasurable feeling to come over her; in this case, it was meant merely to comfort. It seemed to work a bit. Starlight stopped sobbing and looked up at TD.

"Why is she like this? Doesn't she see what they're doing wrong?"

"Twilight is learning the hard way that sometimes your idol is not at all the way you envisioned him. Her judgment is clouded and she's forgotten what she's already learned."

"Then, what do we do?"

"What you've been doing from the start. Advise her, counsel her, and help her see the errors of her ways."

"It's not easy, especially with _him_ around."

"Try ruling the world sometime. I did in a different universe once...didn't end well. After only a month, I had already caused a war to start, two classes of citizens to protest against each other, and hilariously awful politicians trying to fix it all. Don't ask."

Starlight giggled at the thought, then TD stood up and said,"You stay with Twilight and the Merlin wannabe. I'll be back when you're ready to take on the Pony of Shadows."

TD disappeared by stepping off to the side and turning into part of the wall. Starlight waited for him to leave, then she got up and left the room as well.

* * *

TD stood with the Pillars and Mane Six as they looked down at the Hollow Shades before them. The girls had obtained the Elements of Harmony during his absence and he had quite literally just appeared from out of Pinkie Pie's mane to join them. No one questioned this, because by now they were used to weird stuff like that. Upon seeing the dark state of the area, Sunburst said, "I don't remember reading anything that said the Hollow Shades looked like this." The group walked through the seemingly abandoned village in the Shades.

"Oh, the Pony of Shadows must've twisted it to his purposes," Mistmane said.

The Shadow's evil laugh was heard in the air around them as they neared a well at the center.

"Prepare yourselves," Starswirl said, "He is here."

"Oh really?" TD said sarcastically, "Are you sure that wasn't the wind?"

Ignoring this comment, Starswirl called out, "Stygian, show yourself and face us!"

"Famous last words," muttered TD as Stygian's laugh rang out around them. The ground shook and cracks appeared around them and the well. TD wisely stepped away from the well and beyond the cracks when this happened, hoping that his friends would follow his example. They didn't and they all fell into the hole that formed when the ground collapsed underneath them. TD sighed and deliberately jumped in after them.

"Really?" He said, "Not even the ponies who can FLY? Seriously, there was plenty of time to avoid that!"

The group of heroes simply groaned and picked themselves back up. They found themselves inside of what TD called some ancient temple or catacombs. Sunburst adjusted his glasses and said, "I definitely would've remembered reading something about this."

Evil laughter rang around them again and a cloud of darkness appeared in front of them. Starswirl placed a shield around the group as some of the darkness formed into the Pony of Shadows.

"Welcome to the Well of Shame!" the Pony of Shadows said to the heroes. "When you turned your backs on me, I discovered this place. The Darkness spoke to me of a power beyond anything that I could imagine, and I listened."

"Terrible choice," TD muttered. The Pony of Shadows ignored him and continued, circling the group as he spoke.

"The Shadow and I became one. Soon all of the realm will be the same, then all ponies will feel the despair I did when you cast me out!"

"We did what we had to do!" Starswirl replied. "You wanted to steal our powers for yourself!"

"No, it was you who were selfish! Now, you will pay!"

The Shadow fired a blast at Starswirl's shield and cracks appeared on it.

"Are you still sure this isn't a friendship problem?" Starlight asked Twilight. Before Twilight could answer, Starswirl shouted, "Ready? Open the portal!"

Another blast shattered the shield and Starswirl cried out, "Now!" The Pillars and the Mane Six powered up with the Elements and their artifacts and a beam came from each of them. The beams combined into a large multicolored beam that fired over the Shadow's head and formed a portal that started to suck him in like the vacuum of space. He tried to move away, but the beams came back, this time joined by Starswirl's own beam as well, and struck him in the chest, pushing him into the portal.

"No! You will not trap me again!" The Pony of Shadows shouted as he tried to pull himself out.

"Twilight, push him in!" Starswirl commanded. Twilight's crown/Element started to power up.

"Don't..." TD said in an almost inaudible voice.

Before Twilight could fire her own beam, a pony's face emerged from the Pony of Shadows's form, desperately trying to escape. It was quickly pulled back in.

"There's a pony in there!"

Before anyone could stop her, Twilight flew up into the air and she too plummeted into the Pony of Shadows, getting absorbed into its form. Everyone stopped firing their blasts upon seeing this. Only TD seemed unsurprised. The Shadow continued to struggle to escape the vortex behind it.

"Are you Stygian?" Twilight's voice was heard coming from the Pony of Shadows.

"I was, once," a male's voice replied, "until my friends betrayed me."

"But Starswirl says you betrayed them! You wanted their magic!"

"No, I wanted their respect! I brought them together, I planned strategy and read all I could about the beasts we faced. But I didn't have magic or strength, so nopony ever noticed me. I went to Ponehenge to make my own copies of the artifacts. With them, I thought I could be a Pillar too and stand by their side in battle. I never wanted to steal their power!"

At this, even Starswirl gave a look of shock. Starlight gave him a look and TD simply chuckled. Stygian's voice continued.

"But instead of sharing and letting me help, my friends threw me out! *voice sounding more and more like the Shadow* So I became stronger than any of them. The Darkness welcomed me when nopony would, and I will do what I must to protect it!"

"This is all a misunderstanding! If the Pillars knew how you felt, I'm sure they wouldn't have turned their backs on you! The Shadow isn't who you really are! Let me help you be Stygian again!"

During this time, Starlight encased herself into some kind of shield that levitated her into the Pony of Shadows too.

"Even if my friends still did care, what makes you think you have the power to help me?"

"Because it's what she does!" Starlight's voice explained. "I wasn't so different from you, and Twilight helped me change. If there's one pony in Equestria that can save a friendship, it's her."

"I- I want to believe you...But the Darkness will not be stopped!"

A blast was heard inside the Shadow and TD at first feared for Twilight's life. Then, Twilight and Starlight both exited the Shadow, Twilight having a beam of light trailing from her horn into the Shadow. The Shadow cried out in pain the whole time.

"Fight the Darkness, Stygian!" Twilight called out, pulling back on her rope as she spoke. "You don't need it anymore! Revenge isn't what you want; friendship is!"

Stygian appeared momentarily with Twilight's magic beam wrapped around his front hoof. A part of the Pony of Shadows covered his face and attempted to pull him back in. It started to drag Twilight too, who was now flying in the air.

"Twilight!" Starlight fired her own beam and pulled as well, trying to help Stygian out of the Shadow. The Shadow screeched and a beam of darkness came out of it and grabbed Twilight.

"Hey!" TD shouted, his voice unexpectedly changing into his three united voices that spoke at once, "GET YOUR PAWS OFF MY GIRLFRIEND!"

TD launched himself into the air and grabbed Twilight. Walking on air, he struggled to pull her back, but the darkness pulled back as well. A dark stream of magic appeared from out of TD's body and formed into his evil personality (human form). His evil personality grabbed onto Twilight as well and pulled back with the same urgency as the other side of him.

"The Shadow won't let go of him!" Twilight explained to the others. "He wants to stop, but he can't do it alone!"

"Then we must help him!" Starswirl said. He, Sunburst, and the rest of the group fired their own beams and grabbed onto Stygian. Finally, the combined strength of the heroes pulled Stygian out. However, the Shadow refused to let go of Twilight.

"Hold her still!" TD shouted to his evil personality.

"I'll try," he replied. He started pulling back with more strength than before, anger flashing in his eyes and in his voice as he struggled to hold Twilight still by matching the Shadow's strength. TD quickly rushed over to the dark beam from the Pony of Shadows (still on air) and pulled a sword out of nowhere. He sliced through the beam, and the Pony of Shadows screamed in pain. TD suddenly dissolved into a cloud of particles that got absorbed into his evil personality, which reverted back into his normal self. The Pony of Shadows gave one last cry before the vortex of Limbo fully dragged him inside and he was lost. The portal closed and a massive multicolored beam of magic erupted from the well and into the skies above.

* * *

Twilight crawled out of the well, helped along by TD. The rest of the Mane Seven and the Pillars followed as well.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash shouted, "Oh, it felt so good to do that again!"

"Friendship Power Rush! Whoo!" Pinkie Pie tackled Rainbow Dash to the ground. Rarity looked down at her neck and gasped.

"The Elements! They didn't disappear!"

"Maybe because we used them for healing magic instead of banishing," Fluttershy suggested.

"Look!" Applejack pointed towards the well where Starswirl and Stygian had just crawled out. Starswirl looked at Stygian and spoke solemnly.

"Long ago, you needed our help, Stygian. But instead of listening, we turned our backs on you. Pride clouded my judgment. I owe you an apology. *turned to Twilight* Thank you for helping us see the errors of our ways, Twilight. It seems that I never accounted for the Magic of Friendship."

"Thank you, Swirlstar! Er, Starswirl!"

Just then, the Cutie Marks on her flank and that of her friends started to flash and shimmer, signalling that their mission was complete.

"Ahem!" Starlight said to Starswirl with a smile, "So, apparently a conversation _can_ save Equestria?"

Starswirl chuckled and said, "Something tells me I will be making a lot of apologies today!"

"Great! Then you can start with me and when you insulted my girlfriend!" TD said.

"He what?!"

"Long story. Don't ask."

* * *

"I simply cannot believe how tall you've gotten!" Starswirl said in amazement as he addressed Princess Celestia and Luna. They were all back in the Canterlot throne room.

"Well, it has been over a thousand years," Celestia replied. "Will you stay here and teach magic once again? My sister and I have such fond memories of your lessons."

"As long as you don't ask us for those essays we owed you before you disappeared," Luna added.

Both Celestia and Starswirl chuckled before Starswirl said, "I'm not certain Canterlot is where I belong. The realm has grown, and I believe I'll have a look around before I settle in any one place."

"And Ah long to see what has become of my home," Meadowbrook chimed in.

"I believe we all do," Mistmane said.

"Then I hope that you will return to Canterlot on occasion, and share the wisdom of your great experience with the next generation of ponies."

"We would be honored," Starswirl said, "but if it's wisdom that you seek, look no further than your own pupil. She showed me that the power of Friendship is a magical force indeed, and that in turning away from others you hurt yourself as well."

Upon hearing Starswirl's words, Twilight beamed a teary face of happiness and pride. The Pillars and most of the Mane Seven all joined together in large group hug. Sunburst went to join them, leaving TD and Starlight with Twilight.

"It's funny!" she said, "I thought meeting my idol would give me all the answers I ever wanted, but instead I forgot what I already knew."

TD and Starlight both placed a hand/hoof on her shoulder.

"Good thing I had a student of my own to remind me, as well as a great coltfriend too!"

Twilight embraced Starlight and TD both. They both hesitated for a second, then returned the hug. TD sighed in content.

Another happy ending had been achieved. Only another Season left to go, and then some.

* * *

 **Whew! That took way longer than I thought, but it was totally worth it!**

 **A little note: I realized that TD wouldn't really get much of a role to play in this originally (or as much as he got in this), so I tweaked the episode a bit. In this story, the Pony of Shadows is significantly stronger than in the show, as demonstrated in his encounter with Twilight at the beginning. I also added Twilight's attempted abduction at the end to add a little more drama and give TD some wiggle room to participate in the story. However, even when significantly stronger, I tried to make it obvious that the Pony of Shadows was no match for TD's power.**

 **I intentionally skipped over two or three parts of the episode because (1. I was getting tired of writing this because of how long it was taking, and (2. TD wouldn't really be able to do much in those scenes.**

 **The argument thingy between Starswirl and TD (in case it wasn't obvious) was entirely of my making. Same with quick scene between him and Starlight.**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed! I'll see you next time! Bye!**


	16. The Labyrinth

**I'll be honest with y'all, I am starting to run out of ideas for this series. But I will try to keep her going! If y'all have any ideas for me, or if Season 8 comes out with enough episodes for me to work on, let me know please!**

* * *

Twilight felt her whole body go numb as the spell struck her. A deadly poison coursed through her veins as she collapsed to the ground. But she didn't lose consciousness. Her head slowly turned towards the one who had struck her. TD laughed and said, "Oops! Wrong Princess. Oh well, I guess that it won't matter! I told the Equestrians that I'd end a Princess's life, and that's what I'll do!" He laughed wickedly and raised his hand again. Another sphere appeared in his hand and he brought it down upon her.

That's when she woke up. Twilight sat up straight in her bed with a jerk. It was just a dream. That's what worried her though. This was the third time that the dream had come up again and even though it had happened a long time ago, it held a ring of truth to it. TD still had both a good and evil side to him, and the evil side still had the potential to start an all-out war again with Equestria. He said that it was all over...but was it?

Just then, she heard a rustling noise somewhere past the foot of her bed and a pair of glowing draconic eyes appeared. For most ponies, this would be quite intimidating to see. But for Twilight, it was a comforting sight. Only she could see the concern and love those eyes held. Ironically, those same eyes belonged to the same person in her dream that had attacked her.

"Twilight? What's wrong?" TD's voice came from the direction of the glowing eyes.

"It- it's nothing," she lied. How could she tell him what she had seen in the dream?

TD's eyes disappeared from view, suggesting that he had gone with his human form. A creek sounded from the bed as TD climbed up beside her.

"Twi, please. I know that's not true. What happened? Was it a nightmare?"

"Yes."

"What was it about?"

Twilight hesitated for a moment, wondering what to say. She heard him move closer to her as she struggled to think of something to say. Then, she remembered the first time that she had revealed a secret to TD, concerning the stallion that had broken her heart. Locating TD in the dark, she buried her face into his shoulder and let out all of the tears she had been holding back. It only took TD a moment to realize what was bothering her. She felt a hand gently stroke her mane and coat as TD pulled her in closer to him. Twilight kept sobbing as her wings spread out to create a sort of feathery canvas over TD's face. His voice came to her in the dark, whispering in a gentle, comforting tone.

"Shh! Hey, it's okay. It's all over. You're safe now."

"I know, but I still feel doubtful. What if you hadn't snapped out of it? What if you had left me to-"

"I know. I've been thinking about that too. And I can't stress enough how much I wish that had never happened. You didn't deserve it. I promise, I will NEVER hurt you that way ever again, not if I have anything to say about it."

Twilight smiled at this, reassured that TD meant well and that he wouldn't allow that to happen again. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at his face. Even in the dim light of her room at this hour of the night, she could just faintly see his eyes looking into her own. Their faces came together in a passionate kiss and all of Twilight's fears diminished. TD's hand continued to stroke her mane and coat as they kissed, sending pleasant shivers throughout her body. A slight sigh escaped her and she could've sworn that TD was purring like a cat. The kiss ended and the purring could still be heard from TD. No, it was a growling noise, like some kind of large beast, possibly a dragon. Yet, the growling wasn't threatening in any way; rather, it held a soft crooning note to it, a tone that demonstrated affection and pleasure.

"That'd be the darker side of me. It's one of his ways of showing affection."

"It sounds kinda cute."

TD chuckled and ran his hand down her back. A shudder escaped from Twilight, but not because she was cold. TD smiled upon noticing this and asked her, "You like that, don't you?"

"That depends," she said playfully as she nuzzled up against him, "Do you like _that_?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Then I guess that answers your question."

Neither of the two felt like falling asleep again, so they simply laid back on the bed and stayed in each other's arms/hooves for the rest of the night, enjoying each other's company as the night carried on.

* * *

"Please tell me that you didn't do what I think you did!" Rainbow Dash sternly said to Twilight and TD the next morning. She had barged into the bedroom to find them both in their loving embrace and had almost flown between them to break it up. Even though she thought it was kinda cute (something she'd never admit aloud), she had still feared the worst. Thankfully, TD was a man of his word and what he said reassured her.

"Trust me RD, I don't swing that way. If we do it, I want to wait until we're married."

"Alright. I believe you, but only because I know that you're trustworthy!"

"Why did you even barge in here?" Twilight asked.

"Oh right! The girls wanted me to get you two downstairs quickly! The map is doing something weird."

TD simply snapped his fingers- or rather, he pretended to and his magic created the sound effect- and they teleported downstairs into the room with the map. What Rainbow Dash had said was true. A strange magical item of some kind was being represented on the map and it revealed itself to be in Ponyville. TD stared hard at the item represented on the map and seemed to be deep in thought. The rest of the group was there as well.

"This thing just appeared today when we came in here and it's been here since," Applejack explained. "We had Chuck and Cheese take a look around town, but they didn't find anything. It just don't make any sense."

"What do you suppose it means?" Rarity asked.

"I'm not sure," Twilight admitted, "I've never seen anything like this before. William?"

"Quiet, girls. I'm thinking." TD replied, not unkindly. He started hard at the magic force in Ponyville, then shook his head and said, "No, it can't be. No way my luck could be that bad..." He put a hand out and touched the small image of the mysterious force. Almost immediately, he pulled his hand back as his eyes widened.

"Ah, heck no!"

"What is it? What is it?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Unless I'm mistaken, which I hope I am, that magical energy is being emitted from an ancient artifact known simply as The Labyrinth."

"The what?" Fluttershy asked in confusion.

"What is the Labyrinth?" Starlight asked.

"The Labyrinth is a dangerous magical maze that very few have traversed through...and lived to tell the tale. It was created by a legendary crafter who was known as Daedalus. The guy was unrealistically good at creating and inventing things. During his time, he invented many devices that were well beyond his generation's level of technology. The Labyrinth was his greatest work, but also his darkest secret."

"What was his secret?" Applejack asked.

"Daedalus built the Labyrinth to serve as a prison to contain the spawn of a bull and a female human. That may not sound too bad to you guys, especially considering that me and Twi are together; however, in my world and others that Daedalus exists in, creatures like that aren't usually sentient beings and thus mating with one is deeply frowned upon to this day. I can't tell you the full story, for it would take too long. In short, the Labyrinth served as a means to house the creature, which believe it or not actually was called the Minotaur."

"Hold on!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "That thing was named after the Minotaurs in Equestria?"

"Well technically, it's the other way around, but yeah. It was a beast that showed neither mercy nor compassion or even remorse, and happened to be seen by the king Daedalus worked for as a means to dispose of those who complained about the leadership."

"No remorse? Oh, why was it so...nasty?" Fluttershy asked.

"It may have been nice once upon a time, but the king was a cruel and evil man who abused the Minotaur at a young age. As such, it knew only hate and to kill. Anyways, the Labyrinth alone was dangerous enough, for it was full of all kinds of traps, changing corridors, dead ends, and the Minotaur itself at the center. There was only one way out of the Labyrinth, but only one man managed to get through. I won't say his name now, but in summary he travelled through the Labyrinth, killed the Minotaur and forced the evil king to stop with its usage. The Labyrinth was eventually abandoned by the king and Daedalus, but somehow the Labyrinth seemed to have developed a mind of its own. It now connected itself magically to the world it was in and allowed travel to anywhere in the world for anyone who could traverse through it. It could even send you to a world beyond your own. I'm not sure how or why it is here, but it can't be good."

"So, what can we do?" Twilight asked.

"We can try destroying it, but it may try to trap us within first. I don't know what we may face in there, for it seems to change to fit the world it's located in. But if it stays, we risk having thousands of lives put at risk."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Rainbow Dash said impatiently.

"Not so fast! There's some gear that I'd like to give to each of you before we attempt this. It'll help you should you get stuck in the Labyrinth. Follow me, please!"

TD walked away from the map and deeper into the castle. The Mane Seven followed close behind.

* * *

TD led the Mane Seven through the streets of Ponyville, looking all about him as he did. He was worried about what they might encounter in the Labyrinth and what it could do if not stopped. The others were just as tense as he was, but didn't show it. TD led them to a meadow outside the outskirts of the city and brought them to a stop. He had detected a strange energy surge in that area and was wondering if it was the Labyrinth. He stood still for a moment, then suddenly straightened and said, "Son of a nutcracker." On cue, the ground suddenly gave way under them and they all fell through into the darkness below.

* * *

TD rubbed his head and looked around in confusion. He found an open sky above him, but walls on either side of him. A feeling of dread filled the air around him, a sense of hostility radiated by...

"You didn't. Please tell me that you- oh, yep! You did. Crap!"

TD punched a wall in frustration, his magic absorbing the damage done to his hand and causing a cracked crater to appear. He stood there for a moment beating himself up for not seeing the trap coming sooner. Suddenly, he remembered.

"Oh no. Twilight! Girls! Where are you?!"

"TD? Is that you?" a timid voice answered nearby.

"Fluttershy?! Stay where you are, I'll come to you!"

TD's hand glowed as he used a clairvoyance spell, focusing on Fluttershy as the desired destination. A magical trail was seen before him leading deeper into (or possibly farther out of) the Labyrinth. TD followed it for a few turns and finally found Fluttershy huddled up just around the next corner.

"TD! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Fluttershy shouted, as she flew up to him and tackled him with a hug. TD returned the hug and felt her whole body trembling with fear when he did.

"Hey, it's okay. We're getting out of here, that's a promise."

"P-Pinkie Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

This reassured Fluttershy and she released her hold of TD.

"Fluttershy, do you still have that ball of string I gave to you?"

Earlier before setting out to find the Labyrinth, TD had given each of them a ball of magical string should they get lost. The idea was that it would magically unravel and show you the way out of the Labyrinth, with the string left behind showing you where you've been before. Fluttershy nodded and pulled out her ball of string. She dropped it to the ground and it started to roll away from them, unwinding as it did. TD and Fluttershy slowly followed it through the twists and turns of the Labyrinth. TD wasn't joking when he said that it was easy to get lost in there. If it wasn't for the string, every three steps Fluttershy took would've had her completely lost. As they walked, TD started up some conversation with Fluttershy.

"I'm glad to see that Discord really has turned out better than expected. 'Don't be the rule, be the exception' they say. Hold your breath, the air is poisonous here... We're good now. My only question is why haven't you talked to Discord about it yet? It's obvious- hold still and tuck in your wings- ...that you two really like each other. In fact, I'll even be bold enough to say that you _love_ each other. So, what holds you back?"

"I-I'm afraid of what the girls will think. I mean, it _is_ Discord we're talking about here."

"Maybe so- watch your head. It's a low corridor here- but Twilight managed to get hooked up with me. And I too am not of her species."

"Then how do you do it?"

"Easy. Don't care what anypony else thinks of us. If we love each other- duck- then we don't care what others think. We have each other, and that's all that matters."

"Um, if somepony has the time, could you GET ME THE BUCK OUT OF HERE!" Rainbow Dash's voice rang out up ahead. It was coupled with a whining voice that said, "Sweet Celestia! Could you _not_ shout so loudly next time?"

TD chuckled a bit upon hearing this, but his chuckling faded when he actually happened upon the two ponies in distress. Somehow, the two of them had gotten entangled in some kind of vine-like snare. It looked terribly uncomfortable for them, which wasn't too surprising. Rainbow Dash's face was only a few inches away from Rarity's ear and she was upside down too, while Rarity was stuck in an upright standing position a foot or two off the ground. TD laughed and said as playfully as he could to tone down the seriousness of the situation, "Well, well, well! Looks like I hit the jackpot! Hey ma! Look! I caught us some ponies! We're gonna be rich!"

"Oh, ha ha! I forgot how to laugh!" Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Sheesh! You try to lighten the mood..." TD sighed, knowing that he was going to hate this next part. "Hold on, I'll get you down. But it won't be fast or easy for either of us. If I cut the wrong cords, it will be rather...devastating, shall we say. Also, this may get uncomfortable for you two. As well as me."

"What are you talking abou- oh." Rainbow Dash realized what he was getting at as he tried to find the first cord. His hand brushed against her side as he searched, though it was clear that he didn't enjoy that either. Rainbow Dash looked to him in an almost pleading fashion. "Can't you do it another way?"

"Not unless you want me to cut all the cords at once above your heads and have me do it while you're on the ground. And that'll make it more awkward and uncomfortable."

"I see what you mean," Rainbow Dash replied, realizing the truth in that statement. "Just make it fast, please!"

"Trust me, the sooner this is over with, the better."

TD walked up to the mass of cords and started to feel around for certain cords or occasionally tug at one cord and watched it's movement to make sure he was looking at the right one. To be honest, though, he felt very uncomfortable doing this. When he found the right cord, he cut it with his fingers, which had his magic making them act like scissors. Several times, his hands brushed against the two ponies' while looking for the right cord. Rainbow Dash thankfully kept her cool, for she understood the oddity of the situation that TD was feeling to some extent and wanted him to be able to concentrate. Rarity, however, kept complaining every now and then, making TD feel even more uncomfortable.

"Watch it! You'll ruin my mane! Ugh! I just got that cleaned today! HEY! Who told you that you could touch me there?!"

"Okay, stop!" TD shouted, clearly trying (and failing) to keep his cool, "Look, I'm sorry that this is getting rather touchy for you- no pun intended- but this isn't exactly a walk-in-the-park for me either! Seriously, I feel like I'm guilty of cheating or something! So could you PLEASE. Shut. Up?!"

"Well I never! You say that you're looking for the right cord, but I feel like you're just taking your jolly good time looking for it! I'll bet that you are-"

*snip! snip! snip! crash!*

TD suddenly cut three cords in angry, rapid succession with his fingers and the two ponies tumbled to the ground. TD had actually cut the wrong cord twice, but thankfully had hit the right one before the bad effects could take place.

"There!" TD said in a huff, glaring at Rarity, "Now you're free! HAPPY?!"

Rarity just huffed and held her head high. Rainbow Dash was blushing hard. "That was the single most disturbing experience I've had to go through!" she said to no one in particular.

"Oh, don't worry RD. That wasn't a joy ride for me either," TD muttered aloud. He then turned back to Fluttershy, who was trying not to laugh. She too was blushing.

"Sorry you had to see that."

"It's okay. I can see that you didn't enjoy it."

TD sighed, then dropped another ball of string and followed it down a side corridor. The others trailed behind him, occasionally having to stop and follow his instructions to avoid sudden death. Finally, they saw what looked like the exit. It was a small door just big enough for someone to go in one at a time. In front of the door was a large Timberwolf. Rarity and Fluttershy backed away behind TD and Rainbow Dash was just about to charge it when suddenly Applejack came through the door and said to the Timberwolf, "Pinkie Pie! We found it! It's the way out!"

"Woo whoo!" Pinkie Pie shouted as her Timberwolf form disappeared. She now stood before them in her Changeling form.

"Pinkie, why aren't you in disguise?"

"I got bored of it. Besides, everypony in Ponyville knows what I am! The disguise is really just for show nowadays!"

"Eh, point taken. Wait a minute! Did you bump into Twilight by any chance?"

"Sorry, sugarcube! We ain't seen her. Or Starlight for that matter."

TD looked back into the maze, then said, "Go."

"What?" the remaining five asked in surprise.

"I'm going back in there to find them. I need you girls to stay outside the Labyrinth and wait for us."

"Now hold on a moment!" Rainbow Dash said defiantly, "We're not just going to let you do this alone!"

TD mentally kicked himself. Sometimes, having Rainbow Dash as the Element of Loyalty was extremely inconvenient. It wasn't going to be easy to convince her. Just then, a winded Starlight ran up to them from another corridor. She was out of breath and judging from the condition of her mane and coat, TD guessed that she must've just gone through several traps.

"Twilight...trapped...help!" Starlight fell to the ground, fainted. As the girls ran to her side, TD looked back into the Labyrinth, worry stretched across his face. He turned back to them.

"Girls, stay here with Starlight. I'm going in alone, and you're not coming with me. Not even you, RD. Starlight needs you to stay with her now. Please, for me."

Rainbow Dash was silent for a full half minute, then finally broke and said, "Fine! But you better bring her back in one piece, or else I'll- !"

"Consider myself warned!"

TD "snapped" his fingers and disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

Twilight wasn't exactly sure what it was she was trapped in, but she had deduced one thing about it; if she struggled or panicked, the vine-like things entangled her even more to the point where it would start to kill her. She had finally managed to relax enough to keep it at bay, but it wasn't enough. She could try teleporting, but she didn't know any place in this Labyrinth and it had thwarted any attempts to teleport outside the maze before with Starlight. This cursed Labyrinth! Why couldn't it just leave? Suddenly, the vine things started entangling her again and this time nothing she did could calm it down. Twilight tried screaming for help, but her mouth was covered by the vines. Just when all seemed lost, she heard a familiar voice shout out, "Yol Toor Shul!" A large burst of fire struck the vines and a loud screech was heard from them. It significantly slowed but didn't fully stop entangling her. TD quickly raised his hands towards the vines and shouted, "Twilight, close your eyes!" Twilight did as she was told. Even so, she was hit by a bright light and a louder screech was heard from the vines, and they released her. Twilight started to fall to the ground, but before she hit the floor, she felt something catch her and lift her up into the air. Opening her eyes, she found herself in TD's arms. Their faces were only inches away and TD was looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright?"

"I am now. Thank you, William."

"What can I say? It's what I do. Besides, *playfully* I can't just leave my girlfriend hanging! I checked this morning; it's against the rules."

"Oh good. I'm so glad that you care." Twilight said back in the same playful manner.

"Why, thank you Talking Horse! You're too kind."

"What kind of vines were those?" Twilight finally asked.

"I've seen them only once before, but they are painfully familiar to me. They're called 'Devil's Snare'. Very dangerous. You have to relax once you're caught by them, or else it will kill you faster."

"Kill you _faster_?"

"Yeah, either way it kills you. However, it has a weakness: Devil's Snare hates sunlight. That's why I had you close your eyes."

Twilight smiled at him and he returned the smile. He then returned to his concerned look.

"Are you hurt? Can you walk?"

Twilight shook her head and pointed to her left back hoof. It was twisted at an angle and didn't look too good. TD gave her a look that meant "This is gonna hurt" and twisted her leg back into the correct position. Twilight bit back a scream as TD used a splint he summoned to hold it steady.

"Once we get out of here, I'm using that Fire Flower," TD said.

"I couldn't agree more," Twilight replied.

TD smiled and looked into Twilight's eyes as he carried her through the corridor he had come through, following a trail of unwound string. However, he suddenly looked away and peered ahead into what seemed to be a fog. Several pairs of glowing eyes stood in the way, taunting them of come closer.

"Twilight, I need you to look at me the whole time we're in that fog," TD said, looking back to her. He sounded scared, but not for himself.

"Why? What are those things?"

"I don't have a name for them, but if you look them in the eye, you're as good as dead. Trust me."

Twilight looked into TD's eyes as he entered the fog. As soon as they entered, they were bombarded with all kinds of voices. None of them were distinguishable, but each almost compelled Twilight to turn and look at whoever was speaking. However, the trust she placed in TD was stronger than her curiosity and she refused to avert her gaze away from him. Not to say that it was easy. Several of the voices sounded like that of her friends and family, both from the past and the present. Others sounded like people in pain, begging for help. Twilight shed a few silent tears when a particular voice spoke from the fog; the voice of her sister-in-law, Cadence, in pain, calling to Twilight to save her from the Labyrinth. TD, who had been silent until now, brushed away the tears.

"It's okay. I'm hearing the same things and more. It's disturbing, I know, but they're not real."

"How can you be so calm and collected at a time like this?" Twilight asked, still with some sadness in her voice, yet mixed with wonder.

"Truth be told, I'm scared right now," TD admitted, "I can feel their voices trying to turn me too. Some of the voices...they bring back unpleasant memories. But I have fallen for their tricks once, I'm not going to do that again."

TD walked on in silence for a moment longer, until finally they had reached the exit. Thankfully, the girls had decided to follow TD's advice and leave the Labyrinth. TD knew, because he could no longer sense their location within the Labyrinth, not even with his "Detect Life" Shout. TD took one last look back at the perilous maze and said in a commanding voice, "Leave this world and never return." He then carried Twilight through the exit, as the Labyrinth disappeared completely.

* * *

Twilight wasn't even surprised when she found TD in room that night. Considering how many times he had done it in the past, it was almost routine for her. She frowned at the pair of glowing eyes as her door closed behind her.

"Do you wait for me here every night or are you coincidentally in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"Actually, I think it would be 'right place, wrong time', and yes."

"Well I don't mind if you do, but it's a little disturbing for anypony else that comes in here at this hour."

"Why is it _always_ the eyes?"

The alicorn and the transformed human shared a good laugh at the reality of that sentence. Twilight then said with more seriousness, "So, what happened to the Labyrinth?"

"Long story short: It will never trouble your world ever again. I guess you can say that I gave it a 'warning' to stay out of Equestria and the world it resides in forever."

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this. Another danger to Equestria had come and gone. She climbed into her bed and heard TD pop out his own at the foot of her bed. Twilight laid her head down on her pillow, but she couldn't get to sleep. She felt oddly lonely in her bed, as if something was missing.

Or someone.

TD heard a rustling noise from Twilight's bed and heard her horn power up as her magic lifted him into the air. He smiled brightly. Apparently, Twilight had felt the same way he had. Twilight set him down beside her on the bed and looked into his still-draconic eyes with love. He returned her gaze and asked, "You too?"

"Yeah. I just feel incomplete without you near me."

"Same. Do you want me to stay this way or change forms, or what?"

"I honestly don't care, as long as you just be you."

TD changed into his human form, but his draconic eyes could still be seen in the dark. Twilight somehow knew that it meant that his darker personality was also present in the same form. TD pulled Twilight in for a kiss, but she pushed away long enough to give him one warning.

"Don't take it too far, William. I- I don't know if I'm-"

"I know. And I already promised to wait until we're at the equivalent of being married."

TD pulled Twilight back into the kiss, and this time she didn't stop him. His hands ran through her mane and down her back in a loving caress as he deepened the kiss. Twilight shuddered as her wings spread out and started giving TD's face a caress of their own. Their soft touch tickled him a little, but he didn't care. The two lay back on the bed still within the embrace and pulled away for a second. TD then summoned something that Twilight couldn't see at first, but then it started to glow a bit to reveal a necklace that seemed to have a star for a jewel.

"Oh William, it's beautiful! What is it supposed to be?"

"Back in my world, it's called the North Star. It's the brightest in the night sky and the only one that never moves. I felt that it was fitting for you, because in my eyes, you're my little North Star of Equestria."

Twilight was speechless with joy and love, so she instead hugged him tighter as tears fell down her cheeks. TD returned the hug and whispered, "I love you, Twilight Sparkle."

"I love you too, William."

The two stayed there for a long while longer as the night carried on, enjoying their companionship more and more by the hour.

* * *

 **Well! That was better than I thought it would go!**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed! Cya later!**


	17. The Sparkles' Visit

**Sixteen chapters (no, the Prologue does not count)... Wow! I never thought I'd get this far. Even if I didn't, I'd still make the stories. So this time, TD must face his biggest fear in Equestria: meeting Twilight's parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Dun dun dun!**

 **Big thanks to all of you who have stayed with me this whole time!**

* * *

TD had faced many different threats before. He had faced down "gods", laughed in the face of Death (no seriously, he literally laughed in Death's face), taken on entire armies, and even once fought a mirror image of himself to the death (and guess who won). But he was about to face his biggest fear yet, and it was all thanks to Twilight.

It happened right after breakfast and TD was dancing to some of his tunes. Normally that wouldn't be something shocking to see, except that he was upside down on the ceiling, dancing on a light-up disco floor and busting moves like there was no tomorrow. In truth, he wasn't that good of a dancer and he couldn't even perform the majority of the moves he tried now, but magic had its ways of improving things, especially if it's chaos magic that happens to be beyond the power of anything and everything save his God (and yes, I'm aware that there's non-Christians probably reading this. I'm not trying to convert you, that's just how TD sees it as well as me). Twilight had walked in on him and dropped the bomb.

"William, I was thinking...if this relationship is going to work between us, then I feel like you should at least get to know my parents."

"True that," TD agreed, "Heck, I don't even know much about them on Earth."

"I'm glad that you agree, because I invited them over to meet you."

The disco floor suddenly disappeared, the sound of a record abruptly stopping was heard, and gravity for TD returned to normal and he fell to the floor. Or that's where he would've fallen, had it not been for a particular blue portal placed right underneath him and a particular yellow portal above him. He fell through the blue portal and reappeared through the yellow one in a never-ending fall.

"WHAT!? You- invited- them- here? When?"

"Today, actually," Twilight replied, trying to ignore the situation her boyfriend had placed himself in. She still wasn't sure if he did such antics on purpose or if it happened naturally because of the way his chaotic powers worked.

"How much- have you- told them?"

"Well, they know that you're a reformed villain and that we finally got on the right hoof with each other. They know that you're a bit odd-"

"But they- don't- know- about- my powers- or who- I am! Who I- am- truly!"

"And you know that how?"

"Fourth- Wall- Breaking- baby! Could you- help- please? It's- really- hard- to stop- doing- this- when- you- start."

Twilight's horn glowed and TD stopped in midair between the two portals, Twilight's magic encasing him and preventing him from falling through the portals again.

"Thank you for doing that!" TD said gratefully. He "snapped" his fingers and the portals disappeared. He then floated gently to the ground as Twilight set him down.

"Look, Twi. Your parents probably don't even know that I'm the Terror of Dimensions, thanks to the author of this story! That, and I'm a human, not even your species, with powers beyond anything that they could ever conceive of, from a world beyond their own, dating their daughter who happens to be a Princess! A royal figure in Equestria! And you want them to visit now!? Couldn't you have waited until you had told them a little more about me?"

"I figured that it would be better to have them meet you face to face. It's okay! You don't have to tell them everything."

"Well I ain't lying to them, if that's what you're proposing."

"There's always your loophole you can use."

"Which one?"

"The one where you tell the truth, but leave out some of the other details."

"Oh...well, depending on how you look at that, it can sound rather cruel and mean at times. Though I suppose that it would be best to break it to them nice and slow. Quick question: are they aware that Pinkie Pie is a Changeling?"

"Yes, they are. I made sure to tell them that in case Pinkie Pie does something startling."

"Well then, how long do we have before-?"

*RING!*

"-me and my big mouth!"

"Since when did we get a doorbell?"

"Since I moved in. I figured that it would be easier than knocking. They're quite useful in my world."

TD closed his eyes for a moment, transforming into his pony form. This time, he was wearing his sunglasses, something that Twilight hadn't seen him use for almost a year now. He asked, "How do I look?"

"Well, I guess that it'll have to do," Twilight said playfully, before asking in a serious tone, "Can't you change your eyes so you don't have to wear those?"

"Tried that already. Failed."

Twilight sighed and walked towards the Castle doors, where Spike had just let in two older ponies, a male and a female. The female was a light gray mare with light arctic blue eyes and three purple stars as her Cutie Mark. Her mane and tail were a moderate purple and light gray, and bore a similar resemblance to Twilight's. The male was a grayish azure color with a dark blue mane and amber colored eyes. His Cutie Mark was a small white crescent moon and a larger yellow one beside it, with the small moon inside the larger one's inner curve. The two looked to Twilight and gave a cry of joy.

"Mom! Dad!" Twilight greeted her parents with a warm hug. TD stayed at a distance for now, but even so his heart warmed at the sight. Admittingly, he shed a tear as well.

"Hello, sweetheart!" the female pony replied.

Releasing each other from the embrace, the two parents looked at their daughter with pride and love.

"It's good to see you again, Twily," the male pony said. "Is it just me, or have you grown a little since last we met?"

Twilight chuckled a bit. Thanks to TD, she had noticed that she was slightly taller than the average pony, possibly because she was an alicorn.

"I guess I have grown a little bit." she replied.

TD this whole time was walking up to them slowly so as not to disturb the reunion, but he also didn't want to startle them. Twilight's mom noticed him and asked, "Is this the handsome young stallion you've told us about?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm THAT good," TD replied, "But I'll take it. The name's William. Odd name, I know, but it grows on you. Pleased to meet you!"

TD extended one of his hooves out in the standard Equestrian greeting. Twilight's mom accepted it and said, "Thanks. I'm Twilight Velvet and my husband here is Night Light, but you can just call us Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle."

"Nice to meet you!" TD said to Night Light, accepting Night Light's hoof as well.

"You too! Twilight has told us much about you. Is it true that you really study dragons?"

"It is. They are quite fascinating beasts in my eyes," TD confirmed. This wasn't a lie technically. TD did study the dragons of Equestria and other worlds too if he could. To him, dragons were marvelous beasts, and being as ancient as they were it wasn't too surprising to find something new about each dragon he came across.

"Is it dangerous?" Mrs. Sparkle asked.

"Oh yeah!" TD said, giving a chuckle as he did. "I've been attacked by them several times, truth be told. Luckily, I happen to know a few tricks and spells to keep them away. Many a dragon has come and gone, but I'm still here. Hey, how many dragons does it take to scare Fluttershy? Can't tell! As soon as she gives 'The Stare', they scatter!"

The group laughed a little at his joke. Twilight just smiled and shook her head. Then she said, "Why don't you two come with me to the new room William installed in the Castle? I've got some tea for us there. Are you two hungry? We've got some snacks as well!"

"Sure!" Mr. Sparkle said.

"Great!"

The group trotted towards the lounge room TD had fixed up as TD himself heaved a sigh from the back of the group. So far so good, he thought.

Hopefully, he hadn't just jinxed himself...

* * *

For the next hour or so, the two sides exchanged stories about each other as well as the latest news.

"...Every time I see one coming I'm like, 'Uh oh! Here he comes! Better move in about half-an-hour! *slow motion* 'Oh no! Run for your life!'"

Twilight and her parents both laughed at this, then Mrs. Sparkle asked, "And they're not native to Equestria?"

"Nope. Apparently, they somehow got sent here from outside Equestria. How anyone managed to smuggle them in here is beyond me."

"I don't want to seem rude, but why do you wear those sunglasses?" Mr. Sparkle asked, "Did you get your eyes damaged or something?"

"No, but if I showed you, you might freak out. Especially in this lighting."

TD motioned to the lighting in the room. It wasn't that dark, but the lack of windows in the castle coupled with TD's style of decorations cast just enough shadows upon the couch they sat upon. Twilight understood where this was going, and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"It's alright. We won't judge," Mrs. Sparkle said reassuringly. TD sighed.

"Alright, but don't say that I didn't warn you."

TD removed his sunglasses with his eyes closed to show that he had no injuries in that area, then he slowly opened his eyes. Naturally, there was a gasp of surprise from Twilight's parents; not of fear, but surprise. His eyes glowed slightly in what shadows resided in the area. He looked at the two Sparkles to see that they were not scared of his eyes like most ponies would be; perhaps it was because they, like Twilight, could see the hint of kindness in his eyes.

"Your eyes...what kind of eyes are they?" Mrs. Sparkle asked.

"Dragon eyes."

"Was one of your parents a dragon then?" Mr. Sparkle asked.

"No. It's more like a spell gone wrong and I can't undo it. But it's actually become a part of me that I kinda enjoy. You wouldn't believe how useful it is to intimidate anyone who's being a jerk to Twilight or her friends. Especially some of those upper-class ponies in Canterlot."

"Huh?" the two Sparkles were confused.

"You know, the ones who are like, 'It's not proper to be seen with ponies of _your_ class'. Those ponies."

"I hear you," Mr. Sparkle said, "They always make it seem like they're better than everypony else. *to Twilight* They don't give you any trouble, do they?"

"Not really," Twilight responded, "It's mostly my friends that they pick on. But they've become more reluctant to do so in public now, especially when William is with them."

"I can imagine why," Mrs. Sparkle said with a chuckle.

"Yeah..."

Suddenly, a hiss was heard in the room and an unreformed female Changeling entered the room. The two Sparkles screeched and hid behind the couch, and Twilight got ready to fight it. TD, however, got an annoyed look, for he had noticed the tuff of pink on the Changeling's head.

"Pinkie Pie, cut it out! That's not funny, or scary."

"Aww! Why do you have to be such a party pooper?" Pinkie Pie asked, dropping the charade. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and let her guard down. TD turned to the two ponies who were slowly rising from their hiding place. They had calmed down when they heard the Changeling's name.

"Oh! It's you, Pinkie Pie! I'll admit, it's kinda odd to see you as a Changeling and not as...well, you know."

"You get used to it," Pinkie Pie replied, "I've been trying to get around without using my disguise here in Ponyville. It's only outside of Ponyville that it becomes a problem."

"Well, if you don't mind Pinkie, could you give us our privacy please?" TD asked. "We didn't really expect any company."

"Okie Doki Loki! Cya later, TD!"

And with that, Pinkie Pie bounced away, unaware of the sudden confusion on the Sparkles' faces, Twilight's glare, or TD slapping his forehead with his hoof. Leave it to Pinkie Pie to mess things up unintentionally, he said to himself.

"Uh...what did she call you?" Mr. Sparkle asked, suddenly a little wary.

"Did- did she call you T- T-"

"Please, allow me," TD said, knowing that the gig was up. He put on his best impression of a scared pony and shouted in mock fright, "Ah! It's the Terror of Dimensions!" He then laughed, not unkindly and shifted into his human form.

"That wasn't necessary, William!" Twilight shouted at him, glaring at him.

"Maybe, but it was obvious that our cook was goosed."

Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle were taken aback. When they had heard that the one dating their daughter was a reformed villain, they hadn't expected him to be the one guy who had tried to take over Equestria three times (and technically succeeded twice). It was a lot to take in.

"Sorry about that," TD said apologetically, "We wanted to break it to you nice and slow, but you can see how that ended."

"So you lied to us!?"

"No, actually we didn't. I really do study the dragons here, I am indeed a reformed villain, my real name is William, and the Pony form I took on really was a spell gone wrong. I had originally planned to use it to blend in, but it came with the draconic eyes so it was harder to blend in with. I- I know that it's probably a lame excuse, but I'll say it anyways. Night Light, Twilight Velvet, I love your daughter more than life itself and I'm willing to pay any price necessary to prove it."

TD waited for their response, fully aware that it might not end well. Twilight trotted up to him and wrapped one of her hooves around his waist. They waited for a few moments, tension building in the air. Finally, the two Sparkles looked at each other with a knowing smile. It was Mrs. Sparkle who spoke.

"You don't have to prove anything to us, William. We have seen what kind of person you are, or more appropriately what kind you have become. We're proud of our daughter, not just for what she has achieved in life but also for the person she's chosen to spend her life with. If you want to date our daughter, you have our blessing."

TD chuckled. "I probably would've dated her even without your permission, but it's a relief to know that you approve. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle."

He extended his hand to Night Light, who shook it with a smile on his face. Night Light then said teasingly, "You take care of our daughter, or we'll come over and give you a piece of our mind."

"I doubt that you'd succeed," TD replied in the same manner, "but consider myself warned."

The four then gathered into a group hug. TD's stress disappeared as quickly as it had come earlier that day. He now had nothing to worry about. True, he and Twilight still didn't understand how they'd make it work, but that didn't matter anymore.

The family issues had been taken care of, and that's all that mattered.

* * *

 **Yeah! Another chapter come and gone! If y'all have any ideas on what to have happen next in the story, send me a PM with a brief description of the idea you have in mind.**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!**


	18. TD to the Rescue (Again!)

**Another "TD saves the day" episode. Shout out to** ** _Demon Wolf Alpha_** **for giving me the idea for this chapter.**

 **Another one of my OC's from the future appears in this chapter to help in saving a certain baby alicorn.**

* * *

TD watched as the army of Shadow Ponies marched upon Canterlot, unopposed by all who stood in their way. There wasn't much that they could do, for the Shadow Ponies had somehow managed to copy the magic of those they were fighting. Not even Celestia was able to do much damage. The leader of the Shadow Ponies stepped forward and revealed himself to be a wolf of some kind; a Shadow Wolf. He released a powerful magic blast that engulfed the Canterlot army entirely, beyond all hopes of rescue. The blast settled and the army was completely destroyed. Celestia and Luna were surrounded. It was all over...

It was all yet another vision.

TD woke up with a jerk and sat up in the bed. There was no doubt that what he saw was a vision of the future. He knew because it hadn't given off the same energy that a dream did in Equestria. Both were very realistic, but visions couldn't be altered or changed like dreams could. TD groaned and sat up in the bed. He looked down to see what form he was in. Apparently, he had gone into a stage where his form would change while he slept. They never got any bigger than his human form, but it could still be inconvenient. Looking down, TD saw two front hooves where his hands would be. The fact that he could see them at all told him that he was in his pony form, and his draconic eyes were already doing their work. He heard a rustling noise beside him and quickly turned to see what it was, his fear from the vision not completely wearing off yet. Then he breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Twilight. She was turning over on the bed and had just woken up.

"William?" she asked sleepily, "What's wrong?"

"Another vision, that's what."

Twilight sat straight up in the bed to look at him. TD could see her perfectly fine, but she could only see his eyes shining in the dark. Still, she seemed to know exactly where he was even without seeing the eyes. Funny how that worked.

"What happened this time?" Twilight asked.

"Long story short: I think that you guys are going to get attacked by Shadow Ponies."

"What? But how is this possible?"

"You're talking to a guy who has literally performed the impossible on multiple occasions, and yet even I'm not sure. However, I believe that my author has something to do with it."

Twilight nodded gravely. She rarely questioned his Fourth Wall breaking anymore, even if it didn't make sense to her. To be fair, she had seen enough things that didn't make sense to know that sometimes it didn't need to make sense. All she could do was believe. Twilight looked him in the eyes and asked, "What can we do?"

"The only thing that can be done; fight. I'll send a letter to Celestia come tomorrow and warn her of the approaching danger. For now, let's try to go back to sleep."

Twilight nodded again and the two laid back down on the bed and soon fell fast asleep.

* * *

 _Dear Princess Celestia,_

 _I wish that I could say that this letter is a friendly "how-do-you-do", but unfortunately for us both its not. I just received a vision last night of an attack on all of Equestria sometime in the near future from a group of Shadow Ponies calling themselves the Void Seekers. I suggest that you make all necessary preparations for an all-out assault upon Canterlot and I suggest that you warn all of your allies as well. Hopefully, this gets to you before they do._

 _Yours Truly,_

 _The Terror of Dimensions_

Celestia placed the letter down gravely, knowing full well that whenever TD gave such warnings about a vision, it was best to heed the warning and take action. She summoned a guard over to her and said, "Send word to the Crystal Empire and to all of our allies. We have a war on our hands and we must be prepared for whatever may come next."

"Shall we send it by messenger or shall we use the new method, My Lady?"

"Try the new method. It will deliver the message much faster, and speed is of the essence here."

Just then, a second guard rushed into the room.

"My Lady! An army is approaching Canterlot and they're practically at the gates!"

Celestia stood up and started giving orders.

"Send the message immediately! One of you go wake Luna! The rest of you, follow me!"

Celestia galloped out of the throne room and outside the palace with the entire Royal Guard behind her. In the streets ahead, already charging through the ranks of her own troops was an army of Shadow Ponies. Each wore a special kind of armor and they either carried cruel-looking weapons or blasted at their enemies with the magic from their horns. Leading the pack was a dark wolf wearing a cruel amulet. He had a mask over his face, making him look very intimidating. The mask was built to hide his face, but still allow him to snap and bite with his teeth. Celestia fired a burst of magic at him, but was shocked when he countered with a magic shield exactly like her own. The magic he had wielded was coming from his amulet. All of his own men seemed to have copied Celestia's magic as well, as they all fired a blast of magic at the army before them. Celestia's army fell around her like bowling pins and she was left alone. The Wolf grinned and announced in a dark voice, "I am Lord Rage Wolf! Surrender now, or face my army of Void Seekers!"

Celestia responded with another defiant blast, but he easily countered it. Rage Wolf then fired his own blast and knocked Celestia to the ground. She looked up wearily as another group of Void Seekers exited the palace through an upper window. They were dragging a feisty Princess Luna, who obviously didn't like being handled by the fiends. Rage Wolf smiled wickedly and said, "So falls the mighty Equestrians. How pathetic! I expected a challenge from you. No matter! Soon, this world will bow to me! There's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"Our allies are still out there!" Celestia stated.

"You mean your friends from the Crystal Empire? Sorry to say, but they are the only ones who received the message before my men stopped your messenger. And they are already being taken care of. Face it, you have lost! Nopony can stop me!"

Celestia was taken aback. Despair and hopelessness seemed to cloud her thoughts. Nopony was around that could stop him. Nopony knew of Rage Wolf's arrival that could help...

Luna's laugh broke the air of hopelessness around them. Rage Wolf looked quizzingly at her, wondering what could possibly be so funny. Luna stopped laughing and said, "You're right. Nopony can save us, but some _one_ can! You may have won the battle Rage Wolf, but you won't win the fight. I would suggest that you leave Equestria now. But if you won't, I must warn you that we have a powerful friend who will come and save us!"

"I find that hard to believe," Rage Wolf said. He then began to sing a song to demonstrate what he meant, because why not? His men joined in too for background vocals.

 _(Yeah!)_

 _(Yo!)_

 _I'm the tallest of mountains,_ _I am the roughest of waves_

 _I'm the toughest of terrors,_ _I am the darkest of days_

 _I'm the last one that's standing, don't try to stand in my way,_

 _'Cause I've been up against better, just take a look at my face!_

 _'Cause if you're messing with me, I am a dangerous weapon_

 _I am the sharpest of blades; I'll cut you down in a second!_

 _'Cause I was born in this pain; it only hurts if you let it,_

 _So if you think you can take me, then you should go and forget it!_

 _And after all this time, you're back for more!_

 _(He won't stop until they know my name!)_

 _So I'll take what's mine and start this war!_

 _(He's coming at you like a tidal wave! *echoes off*)_

 _When everything you know has come and gone,_

 _(You are at your lowest, we are rising higher!)_

 _Only scars remain of who I was,_

 _(What we find in the ashes, you lose in the fire!)_

 _When there's no one left to carry on,_

 _(This is an illusion, open up your eyes and...)_

 _This pain (persists),_

 _I can't (resist),_

 _But that's what it takes to be infinite!_

 _Yeah, so look around you and tell me what you really see!_

 _I never end and that's the difference in you and me_

 _'Cause when your time is up and everything is falling down,_

 _It's only me and you - who is gonna save you now?_

 _So look around you and tell me what you really see!_

 _You live a lie and that's the difference in you and me!_

 _I have the power, let me show what it's all about_

 _It's only me and you - who is gonna save you now?_

 _(Who is gonna save you now?)_

Luna stopped them by saying, "Eh! I've seen better!"

Rage Wolf was infuriated. He grabbed her throat and said, "Smartypants, huh? Well, we'll see how long you'll be smiling when you watch me deliver a certain baby Princess here and drain her of all her magic!"

Celestia realized what that meant.

"No! Not Flurry Heart! She's just a foal! You can't-!"

"Quiet!" Rage Wolf smacked her across the face. He then gestured to a Void Seeker and said, "Find the other Alicorns and bring them here to me. I want this world to see how pointless it is to resist!"

* * *

Cadence was breathing heavily as she blocked yet another blast from the Void Seekers in front of her. Their power was strong, and they were able to copy and use all magic in Equestria against her, while she was forced to rely only on her alicorn magic. Shining Armor had already been taken down and was out of the fight, leaving only herself and Sunburst to protect Flurry Heart. Cadence was not going to let those things take her daughter without a fight! She fired a blast at one of the Void Seekers, and he fell to the ground defeated. However, as soon as she did, several beams hit her at once and immobilized her. She fell to the ground and watched helplessly as the Void Seekers advanced towards the throne room where Flurry and Sunburst were holding up. The Void Seekers dragged her paralyzed body away from the fight and she saw no more of what occurred.

Sunburst watched helplessly as the Void Seekers advanced upon him and Flurry. Flurry was crying, clearly showing that she didn't like the strange ponies advancing towards her. Sunburst panicked. Where was Phantom Void when you needed him the most? He desperately tried to block an attack from a Void Seeker, but he was simply tossed aside as they stared at Flurry. The Void Seekers laughed and started to drag the crib she was in out, but they suddenly stopped when a voice was heard from one of the windows. It was a beautiful voice and it was singing in a sweet almost hypnotic tune. The song it sang was unknown and it was one without lyrics, but it seemed to give hope to the Equestrians and despair to the Void Seekers. The window which the voice came from shattered and a lone figure floated into the room between the Void Seekers and Flurry Heart. Sunburst was just as confused as the Void Seekers, for he had never seen such a dazzling creature before.

It was a light pink earth pony mare with eyes that were as blue as the sea. A disco ball surrounded by musical notes made up the Cutie Mark on her flank and it was she who sang the beautiful song. However, what caught the eye of both friend and foe alike was her distinguishing features. Instead of a mane, a set of purple hedgehog quills sat on her head, styled in a fashion that was similar to a mane, and a pink fish tail was seen instead of a pony tail. Despite this hybrid appearance, the mare was strikingly beautiful to behold. She stood in front of Flurry as she continued to sing, and colorful sound waves emitted from her mouth while she sang. The sound waves washed over the Void Seekers and their eyes suddenly turned into spirals. They turned around and left the throne room without a fight. When they were gone, the mare stopped singing and turned to Flurry Heart, who smiled and gurgled at her. It was then that Sunburst was able to react again.

"Y- y- you're a- a- Siren!"

"That's only half true," the Siren said calmly. She looked down at Flurry and gave a smile as she continued, "I'm also part hedgehog, in case the quills weren't obvious enough. I had originally intended to come here on better terms, but I guess I'll have to make due."

Flurry giggled happily at the Siren, earning yet another smile.

"I knew that your baby pictures made you look adorable," the Siren said to Flurry in a whisper, "but seeing you at this age in real life? It's even better."

Just then, Shining Armor stirred a bit. The Siren noticed this and helped him to his feet as he awoke. "Shining Armor, are you okay?" she asked. Shining took a good look at her, then recoiled away and said, "Get away from me! You won't tempt me with your song, Siren!" The Siren simply raised her front hooves out in a friendly gesture as she hovered above the floor, the tip of her tail just barely missing the ground.

"Relax, Shining Armor," she said in a tone that seemed to calm one's nerves, "I do not come as an enemy. Though I can't blame you for your reaction, considering that I'm not even born yet in this time."

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

"Does the name 'Red the Hedgehog' ring a bell?"

"Yes, he's a friend of ours. Why do you ask?"

The Siren stopped hovering and gently floated to the ground. She extended her right front hoof forward.

"My name is Serena. I am the future daughter of Red the Hedgehog and Sonata Dusk."

Shining Armor was still confused. "Future daughter?"

"Yes, I'm from the future. In truth, I'm not even born yet in your time, but it'll be soon."

Hesitantly, Shining Armor slowly accepted Serena's hoof. As soon as their hooves connected, a friendly and calming energy surged through him from Serena. Shining didn't really understand how it worked or why it had happened, but somehow that energy surge told him that Serena was a friend. He apologized for his actions earlier and she happily accepted his apology. She then repeated her greeting with Sunburst.

"How old are you?" Sunburst asked.

"I'm seven years old in human and Mobian standards, but I'm not sure how old that'd be in pony years. But I've stalled you for too long. What's going on here?"

"Some Shadow Wolf is leading a clan of Shadow Ponies called the Void Seekers against all of Equestria. They can copy any magic that they come across and use it against their enemies."

"Then we haven't a moment to lose! I need to get to Canterlot and help with the resistance forces. Sorry to come and go so abruptly, but I can't stay for long. Take care of Flurry Heart in case they come back."

Serena floated back into the air again and started flying out the window, though it looked more as if she was swimming. Before she had left, Shining called out, "Wait! Why did you protect her? You could've left her and gone sooner, right?"

"And what? Leave one of my best friends at the mercy of those fiends before we've even met as fillies? Not a chance!"

Serena left in the direction of Canterlot without another word; her song could be heard for miles after she had left.

* * *

TD knew that something was terribly wrong, mostly because he had just returned from his "secret" base to check up on Twilight, only to find that a struggle had taken place at the Castle. Fearing the worst, he activated a spell that replayed the course of events that had taken place. Apparently, a squad of Void Seekers had invaded the Castle and taken Twilight captive. The rest of the gang had been thrown into a closet that TD had set up earlier the other day. TD rushed over to the closet and opened the door, revealing the rest of the Mane Seven in a heap on the floor. Spike was (oddly enough) curled up on top of Rarity, who apparently was the only one awake at the moment. She looked at TD and said, "Ugh! It _had_ to be you who rescued us."

"Are you still sore about that time in the Labyrinth?"

"Actually, this time I'm sore about the carnival game you won. You kinda bragged quite a bit on that subject and never truly seemed to be sorry for that."

"Oh come on! What is it going to take to _not_ get on your bad side?"

"Well, you could apologize-"

"I did! Five times at least for the Labyrinth alone!"

"Well, then apologize for your actions at the carnival again and we'll call it even."

"I'm sorry, okay? I never intended to offend you. Now, if we can just get y'all out and up to Canterlot. We have a little army to take down."

* * *

Never had the girls seen TD so determined to take down somepony. He had teleported them all to Canterlot with the rest of the girls with the intention of a rescue mission, but ended up with a different plan eventually. When they got there, they bumped into Serena, who explained to them who she was and whose side she was on. Apparently, she had come with the intention of saving Cadence from the Void Seekers.

"So you just want Cadence?" Starlight asked.

"That was the original plan, but I don't see any reason to not save the rest."

"Ok then. Quick question: where is Phantom during all of this?"

Just as she finished, a blast of magic was heard from within the palace.

"Found him," TD replied in a casual tone. The group all ran through the streets of Canterlot, occasionally forced to take on squads of the Void Seekers. For some unexplained reason, they couldn't seem to copy TD's magic or the power in Serena's voice for that matter. Still, it wasn't all victorious when they got into the throne room.

Phantom Void had finally decided to show up and was currently taking on Lord Rage Wolf himself, desperately trying to protect the three alicorns that were chained and left defenseless in the middle of the throne room. The Shadow Wolf made a beam of magic connect with that of the daring Shadow Pony. Needless to say, Phantom found himself quickly overpowered and he was tossed into a wall. Rage Wolf laughed.

"Still thrashing around, I see. I underestimated just how desperately you weaklings cling to life. I think it's time that I ended this."

He turned towards the alicorns and fired a spear-like bolt at them, aiming directly for Luna. At the last second, Phantom Void teleported in the bolt's path. The spear pierced him through and he let out a gasp before collapsing. Luna cried out his name in sorrow and agony. Rage Wolf simply chuckled and summoned another bolt, this time aiming for Twilight. But before he could fire his bolt, a loud scream was heard and a burst of magic struck the Shadow Wolf. Serena soared into the room, followed closely by the remaining members of the Mane Six. The Princesses all teleported out of their chains and behind the Mane Six. A "tsk tsk" noise was heard from above and Rage Wolf looked up to see TD walking on the ceiling.

"Naughty, naughty! Bad dogs like you belong in the kennels," TD said as he casually walked by a hanging chandelier. He suddenly fell to the floor as if gravity had just now decided to apply to him. TD landed with a thud and a crunch was heard. Everyone in the room cringed, but TD's friends only did it because they really felt that it wasn't necessary. TD stood up completely unharmed and looked at Rage Wolf. Even Rage Wolf was barely half TD's height while on four legs.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Rage Wolf sneered, "A Minotaur who lost his horns, shaved off most of his hair, and cut his tail off?"

"Nice try, but no. I'm a human. And you're in no room to talk. I mean, look. I get it; you're upset! No need to be all dark and gloomy about it. You could use a little sunshine."

TD opened up the blinds to a window that appeared out of nowhere and bright sunlight struck the Shadow Wolf, who suddenly started to steam. Rage of screamed in pain and jumped away from the window, which promptly disappeared. TD laughed and said, "Aww! Did the poor doggie get hurt?"

The result was that TD got a blast to the face that sent him crashing into a nearby wall. Rage Wolf smirked and said, "You can't get rid of me so easily, boy! I think it's time to even the odds a bit." He raised his head and performed a Dragon Shout. Only TD knew what he had said, and it scared him a bit. Roughly translated, the Shadow Wolf had cried out, "Bahamut!" It was quickly followed by the roar of a dragon, then the roof caved in. Through the wreckage of the now-demolished palace dropped a dragon TD had never seen before.

It was like a large lizard-man in body, with three pairs of large wings, hand-like talons on its front arms with razor sharp claws, and a large reptilian tail. Lightning flashed across it's body as it roared in challenge at the human before him. TD looked up and sighed. This was going to be hard.

TD threw spheres of energy at Bahamut, and flew up to meet it at his level. The energy only seemed to annoy Bahamut, but that's because TD had only used small bits of energy to test it's might. Sadly, that proved to be a terrible idea. Bahamut grabbed TD with one of his talons and tried to chew down on him, only to have his teeth chomp down on something hard, but not hard enough to hurt his teeth.

"I am not a nut!" TD screeched from within the dragon's talons.

Bahamut ignored his cries and flew up to a nearby mountain. TD just barely managed to change into his pony form before Bahamut smashed him against the mountain and dragged him forcefully across the rocky surface while flying at full speed. Normally, this would be enough to kill someone, but TD had learned from experience that Equestrians had an insane durability. This combined with his powers made it impossible to kill him in such a simple way. It still hurt though, and TD got a brief flashback from the time when he had first experienced road rash in his own world on his face. That wasn't a pleasant memory, but why it was popping up now was beyond him. Bahamut's roar broke the train of thought as he dropped TD from a high altitude. He then blasted TD with several large bursts of lightning. A smoking object, which everyone assumed to be TD, fell to the ground below, creating a huge crater in the streets of Canterlot. The smoke cleared and Bahamut flew down to confirm that his prey was actually dead. But instead, he found that the crater was empty. Suddenly, he heard a loud buzzing noise above him.

"I fly like a butterfly and sting like a beeeee!"

TD landed on Bahamut as a giant bee, stinger first. Bahamut roared in pain and turned towards TD, only to suddenly cringe back slightly in fear. TD's eyes were still draconic, but he had reverted into his human form. A dangerous look was in his eyes.

"My turn," TD said darkly. He then lifted his hands and several bolts of red lightning fell from the sky and struck Bahamut. Bahamut screeched and tried to retaliate, only to get a large "Yol Tor Shul!" from TD and a burst of fire to the face. It was clear that TD simply wasn't fooling around anymore. Bahamut breathed more lightning at TD, only to have it reflected back into his face by a mirror TD held in his hands. TD then gave a smirk and powered up in a style similar to a Super Saiyan, yet not at the same time. His hair was glowing, but he gave the _Dragon Ball Z_ fans who might be reading this (emphasis on "might") and said, "No, this is not a Super Saiyan thing. This be from _RWBY_ , and it happens to be Yang's semblance." Bahamut obviously knew nothing about this, because he simply charged TD yet again. However, with one hand TD held back the monstrous beast, then did a series of furious punches at its face. Bahamut could not withstand this onslaught and soon fell defeated. TD smiled in satisfaction and turned towards the remains of the palace. His satisfaction almost immediately left him.

Rage Wolf smugly smiled as he easily countered the Siren's voice with his own magic, then tossed her aside. The Mane Six tried to stop his advance, but he simply chucked them aside too, focusing only on his target. Twilight still lay on the floor. She was too weak to fight back, let alone stand. "Somepony...anypony...please," she said in a whisper. Rage Wolf stood ready for the attack, but before he could fire, a flash of light appeared in front of Twilight followed by a dragon's snarl. TD stood before Rage Wolf as a dragon standing about Discord's size. His eyes were as red as blood, and his scales were as black as midnight. He wrapped his snake-like tail around Twilight protectively. The snarl rose from him again and Twilight heard him speak in three voices at once, as all three personalities spoke through him.

"Don't you DARE touch her!"

Rage Wolf snarled and attempted a magic blast. A big mistake. The blast only got as far as TD's face before coming to a complete stop and disappearing. TD then reared back his head and a blast of pure darkness came from his mouth. Rage Wolf blocked the attack, but was quickly overwhelmed and thrown back against a wall. TD walked up to him and grabbed his amulet, shattering it with one of his claws. Rage Wolf looked into TD's eyes, and when he saw the truth in them, he whimpered in fear.

"Down, dog!" TD ordered darkly. He returned to his human form and summoned a sphere of energy in his hand. But before he could release it on the Shadow Wolf, he heard Twilight shout, "William, no!"

TD turned to look at her and noticed her look of pure horror. He realized that she was afraid of him, what he planned to do. TD sighed sadly, then turned back to Rage Wolf and said in a threatening tone, "Don't come near me or my family ever again!"

A light enveloped Rage Wolf and his Void Seekers and they all disappeared. Even Bahamut disappeared, still unconscious from his fight with TD. That same light that caused them to disappear repaired all the damage caused throughout Equestria. It was only then that the heroes remembered Phantom Void. They found Princess Luna cradling his limb body in her front hooves and tears were streaming down her face.

"No...please don't go," she whispered to the Shadow Pony. Phantom didn't respond, but his breathing seemed to get shallower by the second. TD looked gravely down at the grieving alicorn and said, "I'm sorry, Luna. I can't save him. Not without the Fire Flower, and it's too late to fetch it now."

"Actually, you won't need it," Serena replied, having just recovered from Rage Wolf's attack. She walked over to Luna and asked, "May I?" Luna let her take the body of the Shadow Pony, whose breathing was almost undetectable now. Serena closed her eyes and sang:

 _Flower gleam and glow,_

 _Let your power shine_

 _Make the clock reverse,_

 _Bring back what once was mine._

 _Heal what has been hurt,_

 _Change the Fates' design_

 _Save what has been lost_

 _Bring back what once was mine._

 _What once was mine._

As Serena sang, her body and that of Phantom Void's floated a few feet into the air and were surrounded by a shield of sound. The energy was golden in color and seemed to radiate a sense of health and youth. When the song ended, Serena and Phantom Void floated back down to the floor. Phantom Void gasped a few times and opened his eyes. Luna was overcome with joy and rushed up to the Shadow Pony, locking him in a loving embrace. He was at first surprised, but he soon returned the embrace. The others were all shocked to see this, but TD simply looked on with impressed amusement. Serena suddenly turned slightly transparent and said, "It seems that my time here is up. It has been an honor meeting all of you. Goodbye!"

"Wait!" Twilight called out. She had recovered enough strength to stand and was propped against TD for support. "Who are you?"

Serena smiled. "You'll find out in your near future, Aunt Twilight."

Serena soon became completely transparent and was gone for good. Everyone stood watching until they knew for certain that she was gone.

"Who was she?" Twilight asked again, this time looking to TD. TD smiled and replied, "Serena Dusk. And like she said, she's in our near future."

* * *

It didn't take long for order to be restored to Equestria once again. TD, surprisingly, was barely involved in that part. He never really was one for politics. He was content with the part he had already played, and didn't want to get involved in things that he had no true knowledge on.

"I have to admit, ever since you came to Equestria, things just haven't been the same," Twilight said to him later that night in her room.

"What can I say? I'm an influential guy, both in a good way and a bad way."

Twilight smiled and shook her head as she looked up at him on the ceiling. "Oh William, you're impossible."

"Correction. I can _do_ the impossible. Unless something suppresses my powers, or puts me in a hostage situation, or-"

Twilight pulled him down from the ceiling and gave him a kiss.

"Shut up, William. You talk too much."

TD smiled and kissed her back. It was still weird to him that she could have so much influence on him when her power was child's play compared to his own. But hey! Why complain? She was perfect just the way she was.

And that was good enough for him.

* * *

 **Whoo! What a relief!**

 **Me and _impressionsguy_ are making a story together with his OC, Chuck, and TD both involved in it when they get stranded in the wilderness. Surprisingly, I was able to work on it faster than my other chapters. Guess the extra help has something to do with it!**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**

 **Edit: Rage Wolf's song is the theme song for Infinite from _Sonic Forces._ The healing song sing by Serena is from Disney's _Tangled_.**


	19. The Proposal

**When there's something strange in your neighborhood,** ** _don't_** **call TD. Unless you absolutely cannot handle it yourself.**

 **So, I was thinking: when should TD and Twilight at least hint towards tying the knot. Well...This might it it.**

 **A little thing I'd like to say that you may have noticed: My main problem in this story is the Twilight x TD moments. I don't want to get into too much details, because that's just not me (and because my parents wouldn't allow it), yet I also want to make it a beautiful moment for them. So please understand if you feel that it's lacking.**

 **Thank you for supporting me so far! TD's antics are not over yet. And for anyone who enjoyed seeing him in _impressionsguy_ 's story "Equestria's New Comedian", I have a feeling that TD will be making more appearances in the future.**

* * *

TD woke up from his sleep to look around the room. It had happened again. The same dream, the same scene, the same reveal of himself.

The day that Lord Rage Wolf had attempted to take Equestria for himself. TD had seen him ready to strike down Twilight once and for all. As soon as he did, something inside him snapped. All three of his personalities had seen this and they had reacted accordingly. United under a single cause: protect Twilight Sparkle. Yet, that's what bothered TD. She had seen him reveal his darker side openly, and while it may have been with the intention of saving her it still scared him. He knew what his darker side was capable of, the damage he could cause, the lives he could take. This world could be completely and utterly destroyed in the blink of an eye if he willed it.

And yet...something held the darker side back every time. No, _someone_ held him back. And that someone was lying asleep beside him on the bed, her eyes closed in a blissful sleep. TD looked down at her and heaved a sigh. Why didn't his dark side get out to destroy this world anymore, even if he did like her?

"Because it would break her heart," a dark, yet familiar voice said nearby.

TD turned to the voice, although he already knew who was speaking. TD's dark personality stood beside the bed staring at Twilight with a look that TD had never truly seen him use before; a look of love and kindness. This expression contrasted with his evil appearance, but it didn't seem to bother him anymore.

"That never stopped you in the past," TD said quietly. "So why the change?"

"I don't know. Something about her...I feel like I couldn't do such a thing to her. I may be your dark side, but even I have my soft spots. She so happens to be one of them. Destroying her world, going back to that life on her...it would break her heart, and mine."

"Yours? What do you mean? Wait...you don't mean-?"

"Yes. I love her too, just as much as you and the other personality does. It has taken me awhile to realize that, to stop making excuses to myself, but I finally am willing to admit it. I love her. Anyone who tries to take her from us...well, let's just be nice and say that they will regret it till the day they die."

"And that's the 'kid-friendly' way to put it," TD replied jokingly.

TD's dark personality chuckled. He then said, "I know it's not much of an excuse for my deeds in the past, but if it was possible...I'd take it all back for her."

"I'm sure you would," Twilight's voice suddenly replied in the same low tone as the two sides of TD. The two turned to her to see that she was wide awake. The darker personality disappeared and was absorbed into TD's body, but a look from Twilight told him who she wanted to speak with for now. TD's image changed into a form Twilight had not seen for a long time: deathly pale skin, vampire fangs, blood red eyes, and draconic wings that were tucked away for now.

"How much did you hear?" TD asked.

"All of it, actually. And I know that even _you_ are not a liar."

"Why do you want to speak to me? All I ever have done to you is cause you much pain and harm."

"Once upon a time, I would've agreed with you. But not now. I've seen how you tried to protect me, how much I truly mean to you- yes, even you- and I know that you want to prove to me your love. Well, you don't have to. I think that your actions so far were more than sufficient enough."

"But...how? How can you love a monster like me? I'm not like the other two personalities. I'm the complete opposite of the one you're familiar with-"

"Perhaps, but no matter what form you're in, I can still see the person that I love behind the masks you wear. Even in you."

The fangs, wings and pale skin disappeared, and TD's eyes turned into the draconic eyes that were usually associated with his pony form. However, this time, he was still human when those eyes appeared. Somehow, Twilight knew that it meant that all three personalities were present in this moment.

"You- you mean it?" the dark voice of TD's evil side asked, sounding a bit emotional.

"With all my heart."

TD smiled at the lavender alicorn and whispered in happy disbelief, "What did I ever do in all my years of being the villain to deserve you?"

"I guess that at one point, you must've done something good."

TD smiled and pulled Twilight into a kiss. She leaned into his embrace and gave him her own embrace, as his hands stroked her mane and coat. A soft, purr-like growling came from TD as they kissed, signaling the affection that TD's dark side gave off. Twilight let out a sigh as TD continued to stroke her in a loving way. She made a slightly repressed squeal at one point, suggesting that TD had just hit her ticklish spot. TD laughed inwardly in remembrance of the time when the two had engaged in a tickle fight. He had won it, but only because he had managed to hold her away at a reasonable distance with his arms. Twilight pulled away from the kiss to nuzzle into his chest and he sighed as well.

"Lemme guess, you can't sleep again either," TD whispered kindly to her.

Twilight nodded in response as TD ran his hand down her back. She shuddered a bit as her wings gave TD a soft caress of their own. The two slowly laid back down on the bed, and in this embrace they soon fell fast asleep.

* * *

"Ask her already!" the girls all shouted at once to the human.

"Girls, I may be a conjurer of many things, but a proposal isn't really one of them! Besides, I don't know if we can pull that off..."

"Oh nonsense!" Rarity interrupted, "You two are perfect for each other! You've managed to get this far, so who's to say that you can't pull off a proposal?"

"I do! I haven't ever done this before!"

"Ah just don't see what all the fuss is about," Applejack remarked. "It's a yes or no question, everypony asks those every day."

"You don't get it, do you? You can't just walk up to a girl, hand her a bouquet and ask her to marry you. Besides, marriage is a full-time job if you think about it! You have to provide for the family, raise any kids you have, the whole deal! No vacation from it, no timeouts, none of it!"

"Just play it day by day, don't worry about the future, that's a problem for later!" Pinkie suggested.

"Tell that to someone who doesn't have my powers and who _can't_ destroy this world in the blink of an eye or potentially turn back to his evil ways!"

"I thought that you believed me..." a dark voice suddenly said from TD. Everyone knew that it was his darker side that had spoken.

"I do, but I still am scared of the possibility!"

"For once, I'm with our friends on this. Just ask her already!"

"You have to ask, if you don't ask you'll never know." Chuck said. "Besides, I can't think of a good reason for her to even say no if that helps."

"It does...little. Oh! I can't think! I- I some time to think this over. If you tell Twilight about this, pray that I don't figure it out!"

TD started to walk away, but before he left did, a second face appeared on the back of his head. It looked very similar, but with red eyes, and vampire fangs; his darker side. The dark side mouthed, "Tell her!" then disappeared. TD, not noticing this due to his conflicted emotions, opened up a fiery portal under his feet and disappeared through it with a creepy laugh. He had barely left when Twilight came into the room. Judging from the look on her face, she was probably in the same boat.

"Oh hi Twilight!" Pinkie waved. "We were just talking about-" Chuck quickly stuffed a cupcake in her mouth.

"Sh!" He quieted her.

"Oh, hey everypony," Twilight said, seeming to be rather distracted. She pushed her hoof against a wall and out popped a machine. Nobody needed to ask how she knew it was there nor who had put it there; the answer to both was quite obvious. Twilight pressed a button on the machine and a smoothie of some kind came out of a large slot. She took it and sipped away at it, but hardly seemed to notice anything else. It was almost like she wasn't even tasting the flavor of the drink.

"So, Twilight, what are you up to today?" Applejack asked her.

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know anymore!"

Twilight leaned her head against the wall in a defeated manner. She took another sip of the smoothie, then said as if noticing just now, "Huh. Cherry. What are the odds?"

"How many flavor possibilities are there? That may determine the odds." Chuck said. "What's got you down?" He asked.

"You ever get that feeling where you want to tell somepony something, but are afraid to do it for one reason or another?"

"Like when I wanted to tell Chuck that I didn't like his lasagna?" Pinkie asked.

"That happens all the time." Chuck nodded. "Wait, you don't like it?" He asked her.

"Sorry Chuck, but it's not the nicest thing out there."

"Oh.." He said.

"What do you want to tell somepony?" Rarity asked.

Twilight set the smoothie down on a table that had also appeared from out of the wall.

"Not somepony. Someone."

"Really? Well do I have news for you, because I think someone has something they want to-" Chuck cut Rarity off.

"Sshh!" Chuck shushed her.

"Did you shush me?" She asked.

"Yes, yes I guess I did." He nodded.

"Guys, if there's something that you want to tell me, then say it," Twilight said bluntly. "And if Will- TD wants you to stay quiet about it, just remember who can actually keep him in line if need be."

"Should we?" Applejack asked the others.

"Well if nopony else will, then I'll tell her," Rainbow Dash stated. "The tension is getting unbearable."

"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna tell her! Please? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?" Pinkie asked.

"It probably doesn't matter who tells it, but somepony better speak up," Fluttershy replied.

"What are you guys talking about?" Twilight asked.

"William wants to ask you to marry him!" Pinkie blurted out.

Twilight went completely silent. She stood there for a few seconds, then said aloud, "Catch me please!" before fainting.

Rarity quickly used her magic to catch Twilight as she fell.

"Well, that went well," Rainbow Dash muttered.

"So I'm gonna write my will and testament for when TD finds out she knows." Chuck said getting up to leave.

"Oh no ya don't!" Applejack grabbed him in a firm way. "Ya ain't leaving like that! If TD is gonna kill ya, which I highly doubt that he will, he'll have to go through us too!"

"Fine." Chuck sighed. "I was just gonna throw myself into the river." He muttered.

Twilight opened her eyes and awoke with a gasp.

"What happened? And don't tell me about what she said, because I remember that much."

"Well he was all 'oh I really wanna ask her to marry me', then he was all 'That's a big responsibility, what it I screw up?' Then he left just before you came in and now we're here." Pinkie explained.

"Uh..."

Twilight's face was a mixture of confusion, excitement, doubt, joy, and several others that you couldn't mention in one go.

"But what Pinkie isn't saying is that we... weren't supposed to bring this up. Do try not to tell him we told you?" Rarity said.

"You do realize that he wasn't serious, right?" Twilight managed to say.

 **Meanwhile...**

"I hope they didn't think that I was being literal," TD said to himself.

 **Back to original scene...**

"Even so, this type of thing is supposed to be a surprise." Chuck brought up. "I've seen my fair share of these things."

"Well, too late for that!" Twilight noted. "I might as well come clean myself in that case. I've been thinking about that subject too."

Twilight blushed a bit when she mentioned that.

"Well what a coincidence!" Applejack said.

"Hardly, all couples think about that, it's no coincidence." Rarity spoke up.

"Is he really that concerned about it?" Twilight inquired.

"He seemed to be." Chuck nodded.

Twilight let out a sigh.

"He's not the only one. I'm concerned about it too. That's why I haven't bothered to ask yet."

"What could you have to be concerned about?" Rainbow asked.

"William and I don't know if we could make it work. For starters, we aren't even the same species, though that's admittedly not a big deal; second, he lives in a different world from our own, a world that he often visits if he's not out taking care of other businesses in other dimensions; and finally, he's scared that he might turn again and he doesn't like the idea of putting me in danger. There's more to it than that, but that's as much as I'm willing to reveal."

"I take that back. You do have a lot to be concerned about." Rainbow Dash said.

"That wasn't helpful." Applejack scolded.

Fluttershy, who had been relatively quiet for quite some time, finally spoke her mind.

"I don't see any reason why you couldn't try it. I- I may have been hiding a secret of my own concerning me and Discord."

A wide grin grew across Chuck's face. "Hey Pinkie, you know what this means? You owe me 5 bits."

"Yep! You won the bet." She nodded.

"You knew!?" Fluttershy was surprised to see that someone else knew about her secret.

"It's not that subtle, darling," Rarity stated. "Although, I'm surprised that you didn't mention it sooner."

Fluttershy turned to Twilight, who smiled and said, "William told me about it after the Labyrinth incident."

"I never knew, I just have a gift for seeing this kind of thing." Chuck said happily stacking his recently acquired winnings.

"You know, you and Discord make more sense to me than Twilight and TD," Rainbow Dash remarked. "Course then again, not much makes sense with him anyways."

"She's got a point there." Chuck nodded.

"Guys! We're getting off topic!" Twilight remarked. "Although, I will say congratulations to Fluttershy and Discord both."

"Here here!" Pinkie nodded, the others nodded in aggreance.

"Well it's about time someone other than that upstart of a human decided to congratulate me," Discord's voice suddenly said. A ball flew into the room wearing his face and landed in front of Fluttershy.

"I think this is about to get even more off topic." Chuck murmured to Twilight.

"Lucky you, I was actually coming for different motives," Discord said, but his voice had changed. In fact, it was vaguely familiar, yet unfamiliar as well.

"What motives?" Applejack asked.

"I came to try and help you with myself and getting me out of my shell. Wait...yeah, it's weird to talk about him like that, even if we're technically the same person."

"How so?" Chuck asked.

"Oh that's right! You guys never really got to see me, except for my alter ego, Red the Hedgehog!"

The Discord ball turned into what appeared to be TD, but very different. His entire image was the same color of an old black and white film, and while he didn't look evil, he didn't look like a friend either. He politely bowed and said, "Hi, I'm TD's neutral personality. It's good to finally meet you face to face!"

"Neutral personality?" Applejack asked. "Normally that's just a part of one person."

"You're mistake was using the word normally." Rainbow Dash told her.

"RD has a point there. Anyways, I don't get out much, mostly because it's not really what I'm supposed to do. I mostly act as stalemate resolver for TD. Which if you think about it, that's what I'm doing now for him. The evil side says, 'Marry her', but the other says, 'I don't know if I should'. So, I need to resolve this. However, I'd like to see the opinions of the other party."

"If his evil side is saying marry her that might not be a good idea." Chuck remarked. Applejack smucked him in the back of the head for that remark.

Neutral TD just chuckled. "I'm not officially on anyone's side Chuck, but even I can agree that sometimes it's best to ignore the evil personality. However, what if I told you that the evil side doesn't want to do any harm concerning the marriage proposal?"

"It's true," Twilight said. "Last night, I talked with his evil side personally. He doesn't want to go back to his past deeds for my sake, and his excuse is that it would break my heart as well as his own."

"So what's the real problem?" Applejack asked.

"She's got a point, I just don't see what the big problem is here." Rainbow Dash nodded.

"TD is conflicted," the neutral personality said bluntly. "His two sides can't decide what to do. My job is to fix that by coming to a decision myself. However, truthfully, I'm stuck myself. That's why I came here. If you want TD to make up his mind, you've got to give him a little push in the right direction, whether that's figuratively or literally."

Suddenly, Neutral TD's image started to turn to static.

"My time grows short. My final advice is this: Twilight, look inside yourself and follow your heart."

With this, he promptly disappeared as if someone had shut off a TV.

"Looks like our work is cut out for us then." Rainbow Dash said.

"So what do we do?" Pinkie asked.

"I don't know!" Twilight shouted as she slammed her head down on a section of the wall in defeat. As soon as she did, however, she got a surprised look and tried to move away from the wall. But before she could, she suddenly fell through a hole that had appeared in the floor. There was a loud "Boing!" sound and she flew right back up as the floor went back to normal.

"Why does he even have that one?" she said in annoyance, yet her tone held a slight hint of amusement.

"Here is a possibility, have you thought about... asking him? It's not conventional I know but I mean, but I mean, why not? It'd make this whole situation easier in my opinion." Chuck suggested.

"It's not that I haven't, it's that I can't seem to find a good time or place to tell him. Wait a minute..."

Twilight suddenly got a wide grin.

"That's it! Chuck, you think that you can keep TD distracted at your tavern for awhile?"

"I can do what I can." He nodded. "I'll need a little help, Pinkie?"

"I'm with ya!" She nodded.

"Excellent!" Twilight said. "The rest of you, with me! We've got some shopping to do!"

* * *

"If I could get drunk on sodas, you'd be a millionaire by now. And I'd be a regular customer," TD remarked to Chuck as he sat in his tavern with a root beer next to him. He was resting his head on one of his arms in an seemingly depressed state.

"I could replace them with a spiked one and you'd never know a difference taste wise." Chuck remarked. "But here at Chuck's Tavern we believe in honesty." He looked at him. "That whole thing keeping you down still?"

"What do you think?" TD snapped. He then said in a nicer tone, "I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do!"

"Just ask her already!" TD said in a darker voice.

"Oh shut up!"

"I'm trying to help ya here!"

"Did I ask for help?"

"No, but you need it."

"Wanna know what you need?" Chuck asked. "Another drink, and maybe some soothing music." He said pouring a drink. "Here, on the house, Ivory! Play something soft huh?" Chuck called to his piano player, Ivory Keys.

"You've got it." She nodded playing softly.

"Are you trying to distract me from something?" TD asked in a dangerous tone. "Because if you are..." His tone changed back to depressed, "...then congratulations. It is working."

"I'm good at that, but I'm not trying to, I'm telling you." He defended. "Ooh, that's a good one, you ever hear of it?" Ivory was playing Paul Williams' "Old Fashioned Love Song".

"Neat song," TD complimented half-heartedly, "I've heard it a few times back home. I believe my first time hearing it was on The Muppets Show."

"Classic." Chuck said. "I'd say that was my first time too."

"Look Chuck, I don't care what you're doing, whether it's of your own accord or because Twilight put you up to it. All I want right now is some advice." TD shuddered. "Never thought I'd say _that_ to you."

"Okay first of all, ouch." Chuck cleaned a glass. "Second, what's the advice?"

"How about with what I'm dealing with now? I've heard myself scream at me one too many times today on what I should do."

"You want my advice? Don't wait. That's advice I got from somepony, I intend on using that. You obviously love her, don't you? Well there, don't wait." Chuck said finally.

"That...is actually pretty good. Who told you that? And does it have anything to do with that time where I gave Quibble my own advice? Or is that a different story?"

"That advice was given to me by Bow Hothoof, met him in Cloudsadale at a Wonderbolts show." Chuck explained. "Anyway, don't let the naysayers in your noggin get you down."

"I am the naysayer. If anything, they've been telling me to do what you just said, more or less."

"What'd I tell ya?" the dark personality responded. "You're welcome, by the way."

"There you go, ignore yourself." Chuck said. "Speaking of which, how's this look?" Chuck pulled out a small lavender colored box, revealing an engagement ring.

"It's nice Chuck, but I feel like if I get her one, I want to be the one who gets it for her. The thought was nice though." TD then whispered to him, "Maybe keep that for Pinkie? Where is she by the way? I haven't seen her at all since I got here."

"It is for her, dipstick." Chuck said putting the box away. "She's around here somewhere I think, she might be in the pool room, hey! Why not a friendly game huh? Know how to play?"

"I do, but I haven't had the opportunity to do so for quite some time."

TD smiled and got off the chair, only to fall through a blue portal in the floor and reappear from a yellow portal on the roof, causing to fall in an endless loop.

"Not- this- again! Chuck! Get- a net! Or a- unicorn! Just- help!"

Chuck sighed, grabbing a large frog catching net and grabbing him. "This is a bit of a pain I'll admit."

"Tell me about it," TD sighed. He made the portals disappear then levitated out of the net and onto the floor.

"I really hate it when that happens."

"Tell me about it." Chuck said. "Alright, let's get to pool." He led him to the back room.

* * *

"Yeah! Ya boy did it! I'm honestly surprised that I won that!"

"Real easy when some sort of artificial gravity shifts the table." Chuck hung up his cue. "If we were playing fairly I woulda beat you senseless."

"The fact that I only beat you by one even with that stuff should be an accomplishment in and of itself. You seem to have a lot of experience with the chaotic things in life. Did Discord annoy you too much before?"

"I never minded it much, just like now, I don't mind. I do like a fair game." Chuck explained. "I'd probably better get back to the counter now."

"Okay then. Have a nice day Chuck. Also, Pinkie Pie, if you're going to come out, do it now before I leave."

"I'm here!" She popped up from behind the booths. "Hi! How are ya!" She asked.

"Better than I was earlier, thanks to Chuck. I think I know what to do, but I'm still a little nervous."

"That's the spirit, speaking of those, want a little liquid courage for the road? Might come in handy." Chuck asked.

"Actually, I feel that being scared oftentimes helps you in such situations. Besides, I highly doubt that you have actual liquid courage Chuck. Other than myself, only the Wizard of Oz ever possessed such a thing. Or at least in the book."

"Whiskey is even better, it makes you a little braver and warms the throat, but hey, what do I know? I just sell the stuff." He said tying his apron. "Best of luck."

TD smiled and disappeared through the floor in a fiery portal, making a very unsettling, dark laugh when he did. However, due to being used to such behavior from him, only one random stallion in the tavern actually freaked out when he heard TD's laugh.

"I need to lay off of this stuff..." The business pony looked down at his glass after seeing and hearing what he saw.

* * *

TD sighed as he walked through the Castle of Friendship. He was completely terrified to be honest. This was a huge decision to make. He didn't know how Twilight would take it nor if he'd pull through with it.

"Just do it man," he said to himself in a dark voice, "We've got your back."

"We?"

"I'm here too," the neutral personality said.

"Why? Why are you guys all present at once?"

"This is as important to us as it is to you," the neutral personality said.

"She's our girlfriend too," the dark personality added. "And even if we all are technically the same person, I think that she deserves to hear it from all three of us."

TD smiled and said softly, "Thanks guys. Even if I'm technically talking to myself, you are exactly what I needed today. I think that your presence makes me more at ease."

"No problem buddy!" the neutral personality replied. "That's what we're here for."

TD suddenly realized something.

"The Castle's...empty. Where is everyone?"

"I can detect a single lifeform above us on the balcony. It's her!"

"Oh boy!"

"Don't you DARE back out now!"

"I'm not. Whew! Let's do this."

TD's image changed so that his eyes transformed into his draconic eyes, and his skin was slightly pale, signaling that all three personalities would be present. He then teleported up on the balcony and almost thought that he had gone back in time. The place had been set up in a specific way, decorated in a way that he had not seen for almost two or three years in Equestria. Even in the night air, he knew what was being shown.

"The night when I first started to become reformed..." TD whispered to himself.

It was then that he noticed her sitting on the bench- or was it a sofa?- starring at him with a loving, yet also nervous expression on her face. Her eyes seemed to reflect the very light of the stars off of them, glistening and sparkling in the night air. He noticed that she was wearing the necklace that he had given her the night after her parents had visited. It shone almost as bright as the stars in the sky, and TD personally thought that she looked dazzling with it on. Twilight looked at him and said, "William, there's something that I have been meaning to ask." She then blushed with embarrassment.

"Funny, I do too," TD replied in a nervous tone. Gosh, why did this have to be so hard?

"I was wondering- that is, i've been thinking-" Twilight stumbled with her words.

"Uh, I just wanted to ask if-"

They both stopped and looked away for a moment.

Ask her already!

Tell him!

"Will you marry me?" they both said at the same time. They then went silent again out of surprise. After a long moment of silence, Twilight was the one who spoke.

"You- you were thinking about that too?"

"Well, yes. I mean- well, it's been on my mind for quite some time. I just didn't know if you were thinking about it too. So...will you?"

TD sat in silence and waited. Twilight teared up and said with a smile, "Is that even a question you needed to ask? Yes, I will! That is, if you-"

"Yes," TD replied, bringing her into a hug. "Yes, yes, a million times yes!"

Twilight returned the embrace and the two sat there for a few moments. Then they pulled apart. TD revealed a special box that looked almost like a miniature version of the box Twilight and her friends had opened to defeat Tirek. Inside was a gold ring with a special purple jewel grafted on it in the shape of her Cutie Mark.

"Oh William, it's beautiful! Where'd you get it?"

"The box was my doing. The ring, I had it custom made by a ringmaker in Canterlot. I'll admit, I actually had it planned a day in advance."

Twilight smiled and pulled out her own gift. It too was a ring, designed in a special way. The metal was unknown to him, possibly silver, yet with a strange twist to it. It seemed to constantly shimmer and change color from light to dark. The jewel in the center looked very much like one of his draconic eyes, glowing even as his eyes did now in the evening light. But what caught TD's eye the most was the way the ring was designed.

"Twi, that's- it's a ring from my world! How? H- how'd you get this?"

"I took a quick trip to your world for a moment. Sunset helped me find the right place. Let's just say that I know a master at ringmaking who was more than happy to help out. I also used that special spell you taught me so that no time passed at all while I was gone."

TD looked stunned, then laughed.

"You cheeky mare! I love you."

"I love you too."

TD carefully placed his ring on Twilight's horn while she placed her ring on one of his left hand's fingers. The two smiled and brought each other in for a loving embrace yet again. While staring into each other's eyes, TD spoke.

"Do you know when I first truly started loving you? That day when I hesitated to strike you down."

"Really? For me, I'd say that it was the first night when you began that compromise."

"Oh Twilight, my North Star."

"William, my Lord of Chaos."

They drew each other in for a kiss, not caring about tomorrow or what others may think. They didn't even care about if they could manage to make it work out anymore.

They only cared about how much they loved each other.

* * *

 **Wedding bells be just around the corner! Thanks to _Impressionsguy_ for helping me out with this one. Chuck's responses were right on target!**

 **Check out his content and our story that we made together, "TD and Chuck's Misadventure". Like, review, follow, whichever you feel like doing and I'll catch y'all later!**

 **Peace!**


	20. The Wedding

**"Ah, Master Rick! Remember that time where your story got too cheesy to continue? No? Me neither."**

 **The wedding has arrived at last! Another OC will be shown in this story: TD's brother, who has come to congratulate the wedding or something like that.**

 **TD's brother is not my own OC. He belongs to my actual brother. Other than that, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Why did I leave it up to Derpy?" TD groaned, sitting down on the bed in Twilight's room. "Not that she's a terrible pony. She just gets confused sometimes. Now I have to get the rest of the girls to prepare a marriage ceremony that I'm starting to dread a few hours ahead of schedule while I'm also waiting on my brother to arrive! Clearly, I am losing my mind!"

"I highly doubt that you're losing your mind," Twilight said comfortingly, placing one of her hooves on his shoulder. "And relax! It's not until tomorrow. Be thankful that she got _that_ right."

"Well yeah, but...this is probably the single most stressful event I've ever been through."

"You mentioned a brother; what's he like?"

"You might like him, you might not. Depends on what you're into. He's a good guy on the whole, thankfully. We are- or were- really close as kids, because at the time we were the only children in the same age group of our family. Our older half-brothers didn't like playing with us then, because we were essentially babies to them."

"So, why would you start to drift apart?"

"We have different interests back in my world; vastly different interests. Not to mention our different powers. When I chose the powers of Chaos, he chose the powers of an ancient group of warriors he calls The Ice Warriors. He's been my...rival for most of my past deeds. Every time I tried to do something destructive, he usually was the one to stop me. Him or one of his men. We- we haven't truly seen each other for a long time, save in my world."

"I see...well, at least he decided to come to the wedding."

"That's what I'm afraid of. How will he take it?"

"Does it matter?"

TD sighed and a smile crossed his face as he looked into Twilight's eyes. "No," he said softly, "I guess it doesn't. As long as I have you, it's good enough for me."

Twilight returned the smile and leaned into his chest, nuzzling him affectionately. It was admittedly odd to see a human and a pony together, but Twilight didn't care what others thought about them. She ignored what other ponies saw on the outside and looked at what was inside him. And even with an evil personality, she saw a good person hiding behind an exterior he had created to hide the more sensitive details of his life. No one had ever managed to get through that exterior before her. She was the first and only one who had truly succeeded.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" TD stated as he stroked her mane with one hand, "To think that once upon a time we were enemies, and now we're about to be married."

"It _is_ funny how things work out sometimes," Twilight admitted.

"Because of you, I stopped being the villain all the time. I gave up so much and endured much pain. But you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything. It was just what I needed. What we needed."

Twilight beamed a loving smile up at him as he drew her in closer with a loving embrace. They drew themselves into a deep passionate kiss, completely oblivious to their surroundings for that brief moment. That is, until a loud knock was heard on the door. TD groaned with annoyance and Twilight giggled a bit as they reluctantly pulled apart.

"What is it?" TD asked.

"Darling, when did you say that your brother was arriving?" Rarity's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because some people just came out of nowhere in front of the castle saying that the King of the Ice Warriors requests an audience."

"Uh oh," TD said to himself.

* * *

"What's an Ice Warrior? He's the king of them? Wow! That's so cool! What's that like huh?" Pinkie was keeping a group of the "Ice Warriors" busy. There was about ten of them inside the castle and ten more outside. They ranged from almost all kinds of appearances, from humans to fairy folk, to what would be called aliens. There seemed to be no gender limits in their selections, because males and females both were present as well as some whose genders were beyond that. Each of them carried different weapons and wore different types of armor, but they all shared one similarity; the majority of their armor was made of solid ice. While the majority of them stood around TD's height, some were taller or shorter than that, and while unfamiliar with Equestrian customs (obviously), they seemed well disciplined and polite. Chuck approached his marefriend.

"I don't think you should be messing with them." He warned her.

One of the Warriors heard this and chuckled. He was apparently what TD called a Dwarf, and he just barely stood a foot taller than the Equestrians.

"Oh yes, we are not to be messed with!" he said cheerfully. "But the same goes with your friend TD! Your marefriend is perfectly safe, laddie!"

"Thank you kind sir, may I ask, which are you? Doc? Happy? Sneezy? Grumpy?" Chuck snickered.

The Dwarf roared with laughter and gave Chuck a playful smack on the shoulder. "I like this lad!" he said to the other Warriors in the room. "But no, laddie! Those would be my great-great-great grandchildren if ye need to know!"

The smack was enough to briefly knock the wind out of Chuck. He regained his composure and straightened his bow tie. "That's very interesting." He nodded.

"Well, they _are_ immortal to some extent," TD's voice said from behind. Turning towards him, the group saw him descending from a staircase that came down from an entrance in the roof that he had just created. Twilight was walking beside him as they descended to meet the arrivals. The Dwarf gave a low whistle.

"I may not be into talking horses, but I'll admit she has looks that could bewitch a stallion," he said to Chuck, "I can see why he fell for her."

"Not to mention the magic that even if the stallion wasn't bewitched, she could do that for him." Chuck nodded at the dwarf. "Name's Chuck."

The Dwarf shook Chuck's hoof and said, "The name's Durin the Rock. Given to me by me father before he passed away, because I'm just about as unmovable as one."

"That's a nice name." Chuck nodded. "So, do dwarfs actually enjoy drinking as much as I've heard?"

"That we do, laddie! And from what I hear, you've got yourself a tavern in this place! Lucky you! I might swing on by!"

By now, TD and Twilight had reached the bottom and the staircase disappeared with a "poof".

"Greetings," Twilight addressed the Ice Warriors politely. "I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. These are my friends," she gestured towards each as she spoke: "Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Chuck. And you all know TD."

"We all do, whether fortunately or otherwise." Chuck snickered. "I kid, I kid."

Ignoring him, Twilight asked, "If I may ask, who's in charge here?"

"That would be me," a voice said from outside as a human walked in. He was wearing robes of some kind that made him look like royalty. A crown sat upon his head and a sword was at his belt. Outwardly, he looked a year or two younger than TD, but more physically fit. He looked to TD and said, "Hello, brother."

"Hey Sean. How's life?" TD responded politely.

They stared at each other for a few moments, then TD suddenly brought the king into a hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad you came! I was afraid of how you'd react, but I guess I was worried for nothing!"

Sean returned the hug, apparently not caring that everyone was watching.

"We are happy to welcome you to Equestria." Twilight nodded politely.

"You'll find that it's pretty much the best place you've ever been." Rainbow Dash said with a smug grin.

"That's a tall order to fill, little horse," a creature with purple skin replied stepping up to her. Its gender was unclear. "However, so far you've left a good impression. You just might be up there!"

"I've never seen a place so colorful before," a female creature known as a Faun remarked.

"Ever seen a New Orleans funeral? A Mardi Gras? Carnaval do Brasil? Just a couple things that put the color here to the test." Chuck remarked.

"What he meant was, welcome to Equestria. We're happy to meet ya." Applejack said, smacking Chuck in the shoulder.

By now, TD had released his brother and asked, "Why did you come? I thought that you didn't like the show."

"I still don't," Sean replied, "but you're my brother, so I came to congratulate you." He looked to Twilight and shook her hoof politely. "A pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you too." Twilight smiled.

Just then, a trumpet was heard outside the castle.

"Your Majesty," a voice called out to Sean, "we have another visitor. Make that two."

The group moved outside of the castle to see who it was. Of course, TD and his friends had already guessed who it was. A royal carriage pulled by a team of pegasi landed before the group in front of the castle. In the carriage was Princess Celestia and Luna. They both stepped out and addressed Sean formerly.

"My name is Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Luna. We welcome you to Equestria."

"I am Sean, TD's brother and King of the Ice Warriors. It is an honor to meet you."

The two leaders shook hands/hooves with each other in a formal gesture.

"We do hope that you enjoy your stay in our kingdom, please make yourselves comfortable." Luna said.

"Your hospitality is most kind," Sean replied politely.

"If that's the case," Durin pipped up, "Chuck me lad! Are you open by any chance?"

"Oh boy!" TD remarked with a chuckle.

"Right this way my good man, paying customers with me!" Chuck hummed leading Durin along.

"Be careful, mate!" an Ice Warrior with an eyepatch said with a chuckle. "That Dwarf'll will leave ya without a drop of ale by the morning!"

The rest of the Ice Warriors and the Equestrians laughed at this statement as the majority of them headed to Chuck's Tavern.

* * *

"You fellas gotta come by more often." Chuck said serving the Ice Warriors more drinks. "Business hasn't been this good in months!"

"What can I say, lad?" Durin chuckled. "We love our drink! And yours is by far the best I've tasted yet!"

"Thank you kindly, old family recipe." He said serving them another round.

"Aaahh!" a screech rang out. TD ran past Chuck in a panic and shouted randomly, "Linda! Linda, get the shotgun!" Chasing him was a Timber Wolf with a bonnet on its head. If chased TD around the tavern, surprisingly not knocking over anything. It did end up smashing the karaoke machine, but TD repaired it in a flash of light as he continued to be chased about the tavern.

"Wanna tell me what's going on?" Chuck asked.

"What's it look like?!" TD shouted back as he narrowly missed getting snapped by the Timber Wolf's jaws.

"A free drink for any of you Ice Warriors who turns that thing into kindling." Chuck hollered out, moving behind the bar.

Durin just sighed as if this was a regular task. He dropped down from his chair, calmly walked up to the Timber Wolf and pulled out an axe that was almost as big as he was. In one swift motion, Durin swung his axe into the Timber Wolf and it shattered into a pile of kindling. Durin then quickly gathered the kindling pile together and tossed it to TD.

"Here, burn this kindlin' before it reforms!"

TD laughed.

"You haven't changed a bit Durin," he stated as he walked out of the tavern.

"We have our champion, your prize is another drink on the house." Chuck grinned bringing him another drink.

"It was nothing, lad!" Durin replied, chugging the drink down with some hearty gulps. He made a loud belch and the other Ice Warriors laughed aloud.

"If I may ask TD?" one of the Ice Warriors asked as TD came back into the tavern, "when is the wedding?"

"Tomorrow. So you've got a long wait. Might as well kill some time. Not literally; the last time I did that, it did not end well for either of us."

"What better way to kill time than drink and be merry huh?" Chuck wrapped a leg around Durin's shoulder.

"Oh, I don't know," TD said. "How about sightseeing, spreading chaos, pulling pranks, or even spending quality time with those you love? All of the above I have done before."

"Suit yourself, this Irish pony's getting plastered." Chuck grinned widely.

"You're not Irish," TD stated bluntly. "But whatever. People learn. You guys can get drunk all ya want. I'm gonna be out with Twilight until tomorrow. Later boys!"

TD made a demonic laugh as he disappeared in a cloud of flames.

"50% Irish I'll have you know, at least." Chuck said. "But he's right, I'm not spending the night in my lonesome, where is my beloved?" He went to find Pinkie Pie.

* * *

"This is so stupid!"

TD paced nervously back and forth on air while standing upside down. The day had finally arrived and he was inwardly freaking out. Never before had he ever considered how terribly frightened he would be.

"Here's a nice story to spin! The Terror of Dimensions has stared death in the face, taken on gods, and even destroyed an entire galaxy in the blink of an eye. Yet when his wedding day comes around, he's a freaking scaredy cat!"

"Quit being a wuss, go down the isle, say I do, kiss the bride, then there's a sweet party and then of course, the honeymoon, huh? Sounds like a great time to me." Chuck said as he fastened the cummerbund on his suit.

"Chuck, I've been to an actual wedding! It's so much more than that! Also, I may use your own words against you in your future, friend!"

"I've attended my share weddings, been a part of one on top of that, I know what I'm talking about. I know it's more than that, but that's easy stuff." He said. "Feel free to use my words against me in the future, though I doubt I'll be in the same situation." He said smugly.

TD sighed and looked out at those who had been invited. Among others, he saw Starlight Glimmer, Discord, Thorax and some of his Changelings, Ember, Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, Cadence, Phantom Void (gosh, he hadn't seen him for awhile), Twilight's parents, the Ice Warriors, and Zecora. The rest of the Mane Six were nowhere to be seen, possibly because they were helping Twilight out before the ceremony.

"But, if I'm being serious." Chuck approached him. "When you're out there, going down that aisle, ready to take her and have her forever in a bond of love, all that fear melts away, you're scared now, but it'll pass." He said honestly.

"Remind me not to ask how you would know. I just hope that choosing to stay in my human form was a good idea."

Sean was mostly silent, although he did chuckle a little bit when he heard his brother's plight.

"You know what? That was a legitimate sentiment, I was being nice and all that bollocks, and you come back with that." Chuck scoffed. "But... for an answer, I used to watch a lot of rom coms, they all have a best man pep talk scene."

"That wasn't meant to offend you, Chuck and I apologize if it did," TD replied. "Are you sure that it wouldn't be better if I switched to one of my other forms?"

"You think I know the answer to that?" Chuck asked. "I dunno, do whichever one you're most comfortable in." He said, sliding something into his suit pocket.

"It's not really which one is more comfortable more than it is for public appearance."

"Well, you're a human right now and everyone sees that you are one," Sean replied. "Might as well stay that way."

"Short for words, but when you speak up it's wise, I like the cut of your jib." Chuck nodded respectfully at Sean.

"He takes his job as king very seriously," TD mentioned.

Just then, someone called out, "Get ready! It's starting!"

TD suddenly turned into a fish and flopped around for a second before returning to normal.

"Gosh, I hate it when I'm nervous, because then stuff like that happens!"

"You'll be fine, break a leg." Chuck nodded. "Not literally obviously."

TD gulped and started breathing slowly to calm himself down as the ceremony started. First came the flower girls, who so happened to be the Cutie Mark Crusaders themselves. They were then followed by the rest of the Mane Six. Pinkie Pie, while dressed up beautifully like the others, was noticeably not in disguise, so her Changeling features stood out for all to see. Thankfully, no one freaked out about it, except for one stallion in the back who was silenced by Quibble and Discord together. But nothing could prepare TD for who came out next. In fact, TD almost felt like his heart had stopped.

"Go get 'er tiger." Chuck grinned, and Sean nodded approvingly. The bride had arrived.

Twilight was dressed in a beautiful wedding gown that had been made by Rarity several weeks in advance. A veil covered her face, but her smiling face could still be seen. Around her neck was the necklace that TD had given her almost a year ago, making her attire look even more beautiful.

"She's perfect," TD whispered, his voice failing him at the moment as she walked down the aisle. Twilight reached her spot beside him and beamed him a smile. Celestia teleported in front of the two and began.

"Friends, family, warriors, we are gathered here today to celebrate the coming together of these two before us today, William whom we also know as TD, and Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship," Celestia said proudly. Shinning Armor started to sob like he always did at weddings, earning a few looks from those sitting too close. Celestia ignored this and continued.

"Almost three years ago, this human came into our world with the purpose of destroying it and creating his own empire from the ashes, and he very nearly succeeded. However, somepony caught his eye and caused him to change his mind, somepony who saw past the barriers he had placed up to hide the pain inside. That somepony now stands here before you along with the man she managed to save from himself."

"Way to bring that up, huh?" Chuck snickered at TD.

"To be fair, I kinda asked for it," TD responded.

"Furthermore, do you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, take William to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" She asked.

"I do." Twilight nodded.

"And do you, William, take Princess Twilight Sparkle to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

TD smiled at Twilight and said, "I do, till the end of time itself."

"And now, by the power vested in me, I pronounce this couple, husband and wife." Celestia smiled. "You may now kiss the bride."

TD removed the veil from Twilight's face and pulled her in for a kiss. Because of their size difference, he actually lifted her a few inches off the ground doing so. But neither of them seemed to care. While they were still kissing, a sudden blast was heard in the sky as Rainbow Dash performed a Sonic Rainboom, having sneaked off nearing the end. Sean stepped down as the crowd applauded and cheered, and joined his Ice Warriors.

"Boys," he said, "it's time." Turning to the newlyweds, he addressed them in a kind manner.

"This is dedicated to my brother and his wife. It's our ancient celebration dance, and the only one we know. Hope you enjoy."

The group of Ice Warriors started to arrange themselves into a large group. Chuck stomped on a glass happily and cheered out. "Yeah! Get your dance on!"

The Ice Warriors drew their weapons and started to perform some kind of movement similar to that of a dragon. Ice towers and shelves appeared from nowhere and created some visual effects that made it feel very dramatic, yet celebratory. The dance mostly seemed to be a fancy festive version of fighting styles or demonstrating the many qualities ice possessed, yet it was a spectacular sight to behold. Even Discord cheered loudly when he saw such spectacle.

"Wooo hooo!" Pinkie cheered loudly.

TD was almost crying for joy as he and Twilight applauded as well. Never had he remembered being so happy before in his life. It was almost too much to take in. As they watched, a carriage pulled by several ponies appeared with the words "Just married" on the side. TD offered Twilight his hand and the two walked over to the carriage and said to those pulling it, "Thank you boys! We'll take it from here." With a loud, "Abracadabra!" the carriage harnesses came off of the ponies pulling it and started to move of its own accord once he and Twilight were inside.

"Have fun at your honeymoon!" Pinkie called.

"Yeah but not too much fun!" Chuck called.

TD's response was to make the carriage disappear as one fading into the distance. Everyone cheered and shouted their goodbyes as it disappeared completely.

"Well, as proud a moment as this is, I'm afraid that we must be off," Sean said aloud.

"Well, see ya laddie!" Durin called to Chuck. "Don't change the recipe!"

The Ice Warriors stood still as ice began to form underneath their feet. They then sunk through the ice and disappeared completely.

"Y'all come back now y'hear?" Applejack called to them as they disappeared.

"Well, never thought I'd live to see the day," Ember said in a slightly impressed tone. She then spread her wings and took off. Thorax and his Changelings stayed behind a little longer to help clean up and to say goodbye.

"What a wedding huh?" Chuck asked him during the clean up. "Good times."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Thorax asked.

"Oh, that's right!" Spike intervened, "You two never met each other. Chuck, this is my friend Thorax. He's the king of the Reformed Changelings."

"How do you do?" Chuck shook hooves with him.

"Fine thanks!" Thorax replied. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Likewise." He nodded.

Suddenly, there was a cry of alarm from one of the Changelings. Everyone turned to see one of the Changelings had apparently set off some kind of failsafe TD had placed nearby to keep visitors from messing around with the seats: a fiery version of a snake that snapped at the Changeling's heels.

"What in tarnation?" Applejack remarked.

The snake stopped chasing the Changeling and said in a German accent, "Please no horseplay on the seats! No offense to all you horse-like creatures. Gutentag!"

The snake reached around and bit its own tail, then disappeared in a cloud of steam.

"That was interesting to say the very least." Rarity remarked.

"Well, what did you expect?" Discord replied with a chuckle. "He is a chaotic being, after all. Anything could happen."

* * *

"Thank you for choosing The Magic Carriage for your traveling needs," TD said in a mock female voice as the carriage started to slow down. "Please, do not stand until the carriage has come to a complete stop. Goodbye now! Goodbye! Goodbye! Bye now!"

Twilight laughed at this antic as the carriage stopped completely. Getting out, the two surveyed their surroundings. They were on some kind of mountain that seemed familiar to Twilight.

"Remember this place? It's where we shared our first kiss, rushed though it may have been," TD explained.

"I remember now," Twilight replied, then asked in confusion, "But why are we here? There's nothing here."

"Are you sure?" TD said cheekily. He "snapped" his fingers and a fancy-looking hut appeared behind him overlooking the view that the mountain provided.

"Ta da!" TD proudly showed it off. "A little something that I've been saving for a rainy day."

No sooner had he said that than the sound of thunder was heard above his head. He looked up just as it started to rain down on them.

"Well, it's raining now!" Twilight laughed.

"In that case," TD said, picking her up bridal style, "I think it's time for me to carry you across the threshold!"

Twilight giggled as TD ran up to the shelter of the doorway and opened the door. TD stopped to catch his breath before looking into her eyes. His eyes had noticeably changed into his draconic eyes, giving off their glow within the shadow of the doorway. Yet they held a loving look in them as he stared into her eyes.

"I love you, Twilight," he said softly.

"I love you too, William," she replied back.

They gave each other a kiss as TD walked into the hut and the door shut completely.

* * *

 **"Ya boy! I am on fire! Wait...ah! I'M ON FIRE!"**

 **Oh boy! Drop a like, leave a review, and I'll cya in the next chapter...right after I put out the fire.**

 **P.S. If you have any ideas for my next chapter, send me a PM and I'll see if we can talk.**

 **Thanks again to _Impressionsguy_ for helping out in this chapter!**


	21. A New Family Member

**Admit it. Some of you guys saw this coming from a mile away, especially if you read my spoiler story made by me and** ** _Impressionsguy_** **or read my profile and found the new OC.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Twilight had expected it, though not as soon as it had happened. Still, she wouldn't have taken it back for anything. If anything, she preferred that it had came sooner than later. She sat down on her bed inside the castle as she remembered the past few weeks.

Recently, Twilight had been having a few mood swings, morning sickness, and some cravings to name a few other conditions. She had shrugged it off at first, but when it became a reoccurring thing, she had guessed what it meant. Just to be sure, she had gone to see the doctor for confirmation. The results were positive and she couldn't have been happier. Twilight giggled inwardly a bit. TD would definitely get a big surprise out of this one when he found out. She decided to tell him as soon as he came home, while they were still alone. She had already told the rest of the girls, so they were well aware of the situation. But how would TD react? He would definitely be surprised in a good way, but he could potentially cause some kind of chaos along with his reaction. Then again, since when did he _not_ create a little chaos here and there? If only he was here now...

As if Twilight's wishes were granted, there was a loud crash downstairs followed by a cat's meow and TD's voice called out, "Oh watch where you're going, you stupid cat!" Twilight chuckled at that statement, because it meant that his magic was acting up again; they didn't even own a cat.

"Twilight?" TD's voice called out. "Are you home?"

"I'm up here!" Twilight called back. A rope dropped from the ceiling in her room through a black hole that had appeared. As Twilight watched, she heard a cry of alarm and TD fell from the roof to the floor, the rope going slack and falling with him. TD quickly stood up and said, "Sorry!" before making the rope and hole disappear. He then looked at her kindly and asked, "So, what's up?"

"Oh, just a little something I thought you'd like to know," Twilight replied mysteriously, grinning at him.

"Really?" TD said playfully, arching an eyebrow. "Did the map call you to a new location? Pinkie Pie and Chuck finally tied the knot? You found a new source of power? You may ignore the first two if you'd like."

"Wrong each time. This is more personal. Concerning us."

"Oh! Well, what is it then?"

"William, I'm pregnant."

TD was surprised, yet a joyful look was on his face. He made an almost inaudible noise from his throat and managed to say, "Pinch me," before fainting. Or at least it seemed that he had fainted, until he suddenly shot right back up and said randomly, "There's a goose stuck in the rain!" Twilight just smiled and shook her head. There were some things about her husband that she would possibly never understand. TD looked back at her and asked, "How long have you known?"

"Believe it or not, I was only actually certain about a month ago. And even then, I visited the doctor to make sure that what I thought was true. The results came back positive."

TD was silent yet again, then he suddenly scooped Twilight up into his arms and twirled her around. He was lifting her a few inches or so off the floor, which normally would be impossible for him to perform. But hey, magic allows you to get away with such things.

"Oh, this is great news! This is wonderful!"

"So you're excited too?" Twilight laughed as they twirled around.

"Excited? I'm almost bursting with joy! I'm _thrilled_!" TD replied. He then stopped for a moment to ask, "But uh...what will it look like?"

"Does it matter?"

There was a pause before TD smiled warmly at her.

"No. I guess it doesn't," he said honestly.

TD gave Twilight a deep passionate kiss even while he still held her up. She returned it with the same amount of passion. He pulled away long enough to ask, "Do they know if it's a boy or girl?"

"Not yet, but if you don't mind, I want it to be a surprise."

"Fair enough. Sometimes, it's best to let some things in life surprise you."

They pulled back into the kiss, TD stroking her mane as her wings embraced him and gave him a feathery caress of their own. They stayed there for so long, any onlooker would have been wondering when they'd come up for air. Unfortunately, said onlookers would've had a long wait, thanks to a spell TD placed upon the two of them; but whether or not it was intentional wasn't known to even him. Honestly, he didn't understand himself at times. And he didn't care.

All that mattered was his new family.

* * *

"I still can't believe how lucky I am!" TD said to the rest of the girls later that day. Twilight had come with him and was laying on a sofa provided for her by TD himself.

"I thought you didn't believe in luck?" Starlight remarked.

"I don't. I just use the word rather loosely."

"Why use the word at all if you don't even believe in it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Habit mostly."

"Well, I just don't see the point in using it then."

"Need I remind you who it is we're talking about here?"

"Eh, point taken," Rainbow Dash shrugged.

"So how long do they expect it to arrive?" Applejack asked.

"Is it a boy? Or is it a girl? Watcha gonna name it?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"Is it even pony-shaped or is it a human?" Rarity asked as she held up a few tiny outfits, some for a human baby, others for a pony baby.

"Calm down, girls," Twilight said calmly. "We're still figuring things out."

"Ten months, we don't know, not sure about the name yet, and it's pony-shaped. In that order!" TD replied in answer to the questions asked him.

"Wow, that was impressive," Starlight stated in response to his answers to the questions.

"So, how is it that you don't know if it's a boy or a girl, yet know that it's pony shaped?" Rarity asked.

"Twi and I want it to be a surprise for even ourselves," TD said. "As for the shape, well I allowed myself to see that much of it only."

"And the name?" Applejack asked.

"Like I said, don't know what gender it is. Also, I'll admit, I am not the best at coming up with names. Besides, we've been making a list so far."

"Uh, William?" Twilight said, "We don't have a list of names."

"We do now," TD said as he pulled out a scroll that stretched across the room. At everyone's expressions, TD laughed.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" he said as the scroll disappeared. "Although it has been on my mind."

"So who's gonna be the godparents?" Rarity asked.

TD smiled. "We haven't decided yet, but I personally thought that it should have multiple godparents. And even if that doesn't work out, I know that our child will have the best aunts in all of Equestria."

Everyone gathered for a group hug, glad that they were all one big happy family.

* * *

The months passed rather quickly during the wait. Twilight seemed to lose some of her previous energy, often forcing TD to go out of his way to help her out. Not that it mattered too much, for he was more than willing to help. Sometimes when she was feeling tired to the point of exhaustion, he would have her sleep in longer or take a relaxing nap even. Her cravings didn't prove to be that big of an issue either, for TD provided her with whatever she asked for if she couldn't get it herself, although he did wonder how anyone could eat such oddities. He always had been a bit picky about how food tasted sometimes.

"At least she's not asking for meat," TD said to Rarity one day while visiting her at the boutique. "Now _that_ would be crossing the line."

"I still find it hard to believe that you yourself eat meat," Rarity stated.

"Well, humans have a unique diet to say the least. Be thankful that you guys are sentient beings and that horse meat isn't really a popular delicacy back home."

"Did you have to put it that way?"

"No, but that's how I roll. By the way, you're not still sore about that one issue are you?"

"That depends. Which one?"

"The clothes iron?"

"Oh, _that_ one. Well, I guess that I should apologize for that. I just never realized until then that one of my friends potentially eats some of the same animals we share our lives with in Equestria. Not to mention the headache that I must've given you when I threw it at you."

"To be fair, Twilight was the only one out of you six that even knew what a human was at the time. As for the headache, well there's a reason why I switch between my pony form and human form at times."

"Well, sorry anyways."

"Apology accepted."

TD smiled and shook Rarity's hoof in a friendly manner. He then stood up and said, "Well, I guess I should be off. Twilight will be wondering where I went."

"Take care, darling!" Rarity responded as she went back to her work. She groaned when she realized that she had run out of silk.

"Blast! I should've asked him to help me with th- huh?"

As she was still speaking, a basket of silk appeared in the room with a note attached to it. It said, "May have cheated a bit to figure out that you needed this, but here's your silk," and it had TD's initials on it. Rarity smiled.

"Well, he certainly knows how to act like a gentleman when he needs to. I wish only the best for the two of them."

* * *

Eventually, the ninth month rolled around and by Pinkie Pie's request a baby shower was thrown for Twilight. TD unfortunately wasn't present, but not by choice. He had been called away by his brother to respond to what was potentially an emergency crisis. He did, however, manage to watch the event in real-time through a special crystal ball he had set up in the room. Each of the girls had brought a gift of some kind, and a few others had been invited as well. Spike was standing off to the side watching with a smile, Chuck had tagged along with Pinkie Pie to give his congratulations, and the CMC had decided to drop in (almost literally) as well. Twilight was lying on the sofa in the lounge room TD had added to the castle as the girls gave her their gifts.

"Oh Applejack!" Twilight said as she lifted up a homemade crib. "You shouldn't have."

"Ah thought ya'd like it," Applejack said proudly. "It took me and Big Mac three days to make that. The first few tries were a bit unsuccessful."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say that the first try, the crib fell apart because we accidentally made it too heavy on one side. Then we didn't have enough wood stored up to finish the second one."

Twilight chuckled. Then Starlight came up with her own gift.

"I didn't really know what I was doing at first," she admitted, "but I finally managed to make it work." She held up a little contraption that was supposed to be hung above the baby's bed. It had several jewels on it, each one in the shape of one of the Elements of Harmony hanging from strings, except for one which looked like Starlight's Cutie Mark. Twilight's element was hanging near the center next to a jewel that looked like one of TD's draconic eyes in gem form. It looked quite nice actually.

"Oh, Starlight! It's beautiful!"

Twilight felt like she was going to cry from happiness.

"It is beautiful," TD's voice said in agreement from the crystal ball. His face was visible on it, revealing him to be in his pony form. Apparently he was in a darkened environment, because his eyes were glowing.

"That baby better not be a carbon copy of you, William," Chuck stated, but he too was happy for his friend.

"You guys are the best friends I could ask for," Twilight said, "And when the baby comes, I know that it'll have the best aunts and uncles in the world."

Everyone joined in for a group hug while TD simply smiled warmly at the sight. Just then, Twilight gave a cry of pain and everyone stepped back. TD had heard it and his face was lined with worry.

"Twi? What's wrong?"

"It's the baby...it's- ah!"

"You've got to be kidding me. Oh come on!" TD shouted, looking at the people reading this. "Why is it that this always happen? First it was DisneyFanatic's _Daughter of Discord_ , then it was frontdoor6's story, _A Wish Come True_ , and now it's happening in this story?! Give me a break!"

TD sighed and turned to Twilight, ignoring the confused looks from all save Pinkie Pie and Chuck. "Hold on, I'm coming!"

TD's face disappeared from the crystal ball as it floated into the sky and began to glow. As it glowed, it grew bigger until it was about human sized and turned into a portal. TD flew out of it as if thrown by someone and stood back up as it closed behind him. He rushed to Twilight's side and said comfortingly, "Don't worry. We'll get you to the hospital. Sorry everyone, you're gonna have to walk!"

TD's horn glowed and both he and Twilight disappeared in a flash.

"Great, more walking," Chuck grumbled as he followed the rest of their company out the door.

* * *

Naturally, the doctors and the nurses were surprised when TD appeared in the hallways in his Changeling form and Twilight floating above his head in a magical aura. Thankfully, it only took them a moment to realize who he was.

"Get a stretcher! The baby's coming!"

"What?! But it's only been-"

"Nine months, I know," TD interrupted, as he set Twilight down in a stretcher that he summoned out of nowhere. "But the baby is impatient! I don't see all of the future, but I know for a fact that the baby is coming NOW! So are you just gonna sit there or help me?!"

The doctor any other time would be skeptical still, but he knew TD well enough to know that he wasn't a liar and was smart enough to not question his prediction. Besides, it was clear that something was wrong with the princess. He shouted to two nurses nearby, "Sweetheart! Coldheart! Get Princess Twilight into a room immediately!" The two nurses nodded and pushed the stretcher down the halls to a vacant room. TD sped ahead of them, clearing a path for the nurses as they came by. Once inside the room, the doctor gave Twilight a quick X-ray.

"By Jove!" he exclaimed to TD, "You were right!"

"Duh!" TD stated. He then looked to Twilight and transformed back into his human form. He placed his hands upon one of her hooves and said softly, "It's okay. It's gonna be okay."

"Just breathe, Princess," Coldheart said encouragingly.

"Okay, now. Push!" Sweetheart said.

"Oh dear," TD muttered. He quickly snapped his fingers, and his ears and the ears of those in the room were suddenly plugged up with earplugs. And not a moment too soon, for Twilight shortly let out a scream that could be heard all the way in Canterlot.

 **Meanwhile in the waiting room...**

The rest of the gang had barely been in the waiting room for a few minutes when they heard Twilight's scream.

"Are they murdering her?" Chuck asked no one in particular.

"Oh boy!" Rainbow Dash muttered. "If it hurts that bad, I'd hate to see what happens if _I_ ever have foals."

"Don't worry, it probably won't be that bad," Pinkie Pie said reassuringly. "The author just did that to make it more dramatic."

"The...who?" Rarity asked.

"Don't ask," Chuck said. Just then, the doctor came into the room. The group rushed up to him.

"How is she?" several voices asked at once.

"Princess Twilight is perfectly fine. She has just given birth to a healthy baby colt."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Then, Rarity asked a question that was on all their minds:

"Wait a minute, what does it look like?"

* * *

Twilight held the baby in a small bundle as TD leaned over her to peer into its face. Both had a look of pure love on their faces.

"He's beautiful," Twilight said.

"Oh Twi, he's perfect."

Twilight gently moved the baby over a bit to get a better look. It was a blue pegasus colt with green stripes. His mane was red in color, styled in a manner similar to Shining Armor's. His eyes opened to peer up at his parents and earned a gasp from the two of them, not out of horror or disgust but out of surprise.

"William, his eyes..." Twilight said in a soft voice, almost in a whisper.

"They're...like my draconic eyes, but purple like yours," TD finished her thought. "And for some reason...they don't look threatening like mine."

The baby giggled and looked at TD. A tiny hoof reached out and connected with TD's hand, causing the Lord of Chaos's heart to melt with happiness. But then, the baby pegasus started to cry.

"Oh come on, I'm not _that_ hideous," TD joked.

"I think he's hungry," Twilight said. Suddenly, a bottle appeared in the baby's front hooves. A glowing liquid was seen inside. He giggled with pleasure and started drinking from it.

"William, what did you give him?" Twilight asked, a slight hint of concern in her voice.

"I didn't give him that. But if I had to guess..." TD peered at the liquid more closely and gasped. "That's lava!"

"What?!" Twilight tried to take the bottle from the baby, but stopped when TD spoke again.

"But it doesn't hurt him? And if I didn't give it to-"

TD stopped himself as the two looked at the baby in realization. The baby finished the rest of his drink and tossed the bottle aside. When it hit the ground, it turned into a snowball. TD smiled and gave the baby a small tickle, causing him to giggle some more.

"Oh, that's my boy alright! Yes he is!"

"Hee hee hee! Stop, please!" a childish voice said playfully. TD stopped in confusion. Twilight had obviously heard it too, because she looked around the room with her husband.

"Who said that?" TD asked.

"I did," the voice said again.

"Who? I don't see- wait a minute. That's telepathy Twi."

"What? What do you mean?"

"That voice is communicating to us through telepathy."

TD closed his eyes and Twilight felt his magical energy radiating from him as he tried to locate the source of the telepathy. He then opened his eyes and looked back at the baby.

"No way," he said in a tone that sounded joyfully surprised. "Our son has telepathy?"

"He does?" Twilight asked.

"I do," the child's voice said.

"Alright then, quick question: why did you summon lava of all things to drink?"

"I don't know. I just did it because I could. Plus, I was thirsty."

TD chuckled. "You remind me of myself. But you also remind me of a friend of mine. Wait, that's it! How's Zachary sound for a name? Zach for short."

"Zachary?" Twilight pondered it a bit. "It sounds a little weird, does't it?"

"I don't really care. Besides, I have a name that sounds weird in this place too."

"Point taken," Twilight replied. "Zachary it is."

"Yeah!" Zach's voice called out in their minds, "I have a name!"

* * *

"Which one is it?" Starlight asked as she and the rest of the girls peered through the windows to look for the baby.

"That one! No, that one! Ooh! Maybe that one!" Pinkie started pointing out multiple different foals.

"Wrong each time," Chuck said as he put away a piece of paper he had gotten.

"Chuck, you cheater!" TD's voice said above them. Looking up, the group saw TD in his pony form perched upside down on the ceiling like a vampire of some kind.

"Dude! Do you realize how many ponies you'll freak out up there? Get down!" Chuck demanded.

"Next time don't cheat and look ahead by using the script for this story," TD muttered, floating down slowly to the ground.

"So which one is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That one right there," TD said, pointing at Zachary.

"Aww!" the group exclaimed at once.

"Look at him," Applejack said, "Ain't he just the cutest thing?"

"He looks adorable!" Rarity said.

"I'll admit, he actually looks nice," Rainbow Dash said.

Zachary opened his eyes and everyone was taken by surprise. Well, most of them.

"Aww!" Applebloom said. "He's got dragon eyes like you. His look more friendly though."

"I know. Oh, just a heads up warning: turns out that he has my powers and he has telepathy."

"Huh?" some of the group asked.

"In other words, he can speak to you with his mind."

"A baby with TD's powers and telepathy?" Spike asked.

"Oh boy!" Chuck muttered.

"Get used to it, because he's not going anywhere," TD said to Chuck. Just then, a baby earth pony near Zach started to cry. Zach peered in the baby's direction, then he suddenly started flying by flapping his tiny wings. Everyone but TD gasped at this sight as Zach flew over to the little pony and placed a hoof on the edge of the bed, as if trying to comfort him. The baby looked into Zach's eyes, which had started to glow a bit, but instead of freaking out he giggled happily.

"Aw, that's my boy!" TD said proudly. "Good job, Zachary!"

"Zachary?" the group was again surprised.

"It was the first name I could think of. But it suits him if you ask me."

"This story just took another interesting turn," Chuck muttered to himself. "But for better or worse remains yet to be seen."

"You said it, Chuck," TD agreed.

* * *

 **Well, that's finally over! I may make a few side stories revolving around Zach and any other new children in the series separate from this one, but that's really up to you guys! Let me know through a PM your opinion. (I stay away from polls, because they evidently aren't working for me).**

 **Just a quick warning: my internet at my house is temporarily disabled, which may put a damper on story development.**

 **Like, review, favorite, and I'll see you all next time! Peace!**


	22. Phantom's Rage

**I keep marching on. Because why the heck not? Things are getting better...hopefully. This chapter is derived from an idea given to me by _Demon Wolf Alpha_ some time ago concerning his OC, Phantom Void.**

 **Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

Phantom Void had never felt so much rage build up in him before. He had felt anger building in him for many long years, and he had always managed to keep it suppressed. But today, it refused to be suppressed any longer. All thanks to Celestia. Sure, maybe she had been trying to help out, but she had only made things worse. He and Luna had started dating again, trying to pick up where they had left off before her transformation into Nightmare Moon and his spell that had placed him in a ghost-like state. For some reason, Celestia had thought that it was a good idea to intervene and shake things up a bit.

And that had been the last straw. Phantom had left in a fury after Celestia's terrible antics, leaving Luna crying out loud enough for all of Canterlot to hear. He had flown off into the Everfree Forest and didn't stop until he was deep within it. He had then started to vent out his anger on the many obstacles lying about. He let a burst of magic strike a rock that he had suspiciously shaped to look like Celestia, causing it to shatter completely. It felt good to destroy that image of her, even if it wasn't the real one. Wait...why not try the real Celestia? It would eliminate the problems she posed completely. A small part of him said that this wasn't a good thing to do, but it was drowned out by the screams of rage in his head. His eyes changed into a poison-green color and he smiled to himself.

"You will pay for that, Celestia," he said darkly. "You will pay with your life."

* * *

"Dad! I'm hungry!" Zach's voice complained to TD as he sat in his little chair at the dining table in the Castle of Friendship. Of course, he was using telepathy to talk; even with his strange ways, Zach was still too young to talk yet.

"Hi, Hungry! I'm Dad," TD said. He then laughed. "I'm just messing with ya! Here you go!"

TD summoned a plate of bacon which the young colt devoured hungrily. For reasons that even TD was unsure of, Zach had developed enough to eat solid foods early on in his childhood. Meat just so happened to be one of the many things he would eat, which looked quite shocking to most pony onlookers. Twilight came into the room just as Zach started eating the bacon and shook her head in amusement.

"I'm glad that nopony else has to see this, otherwise we'd never hear the end of it," she said. "How is he even able to have meat?"

"I guess he inherited my human diet on top of everything else," TD replied with a shrug. "Besides, he literally eats just about anything you can think of if he feels like it."

"Point taken. At least he can actually communicate with us early on."

"Well yeah, but it's still not easy. After all, he does possess my powers as well as your own, and then some. If he couldn't tell us what he needs, you probably would've been dead at least three times today alone."

"So would you, William," Twilight pointed out, knowing exactly where this was headed.

"That remains yet to be seen."

"You were in just as much danger as I was."

"I totally would've taken care of it in a heartbeat! But I had you to worry about as well as Zach."

"Why do you always treat it as if I constantly have to be saved from situations like that?"

"Because usually, you do. You can barely take me on when I'm going easy on you, Twi."

"William, my magic may be child's play compared to your power, but I've been around you long enough to know how to handle this kind of stuff."

"Oh come on!" TD's image changed into Sid from Ice Age. He also became much shorter than Twilight.

"Am I talking to myself here? I say, 'They're vegetarian,' and you say, 'Grrr!' I say, 'Can we talk about this?' and you say, 'Grrr!' I don't call that communication."

Twilight snorted in his face as she glared down at him.

"See? That's your answer to everything." TD then changed back to his human form, normal size and all. Twilight smiled and shook her head yet again. A few years ago, she would've questioned his random monologues and the like, but now she either understood them or simply didn't question them. So she instead brought up a different question.

"Have you visited Canterlot lately?"

"Not unless you count that favor I did for Rarity the other day. Why do you ask?"

"I just noticed that Phantom Void has been visiting it more often."

"Really? Then I guess he must've decided to follow that advice."

"What advice?"

"Let's just say that he's finally decided to start where he last left off with Luna all those years ago."

"You mean-?"

"Yep. The Princess of the Night is dating a Shadow Pony.. Sombra would be so proud!"

"I'm sure he would. I'm going to see what the girls are up to today. Think you can keep an eye on Zachary while I'm gone?"

"Is that even a question? He may have my powers, but he's not as strong as I am. Besides, I've had to deal with Discord before. I think I can handle it."

"Good."

Twilight and TD gave each other a quick kiss, then Twilight left the room. As soon as she was gone, Zach's voice spoke in TD's mind.

"Daddy? What was that?"

"What was wha- oh, _that_?" TD chuckled. "I'll tell you when you're older, kido. Or whenever you're old enough to understand. Whichever comes first."

This answer seemed to satisfy the young pegasus and he started flapping his tiny wings. His wings lifted him in the air and he started flying around the room. TD smiled with pride. Granted, Zach seemed to either be maturing at an unusually fast rate, but hey! The magic of the most powerful human in existence coursed through his veins. At this rate, TD wouldn't be surprised if he managed to start thinking responsibly at a young age.

He was the son of a Lord of Chaos. Anything could happen.

* * *

Princess Celestia was exhausted. Yet another day had passed with her having to keep a straight face for her subjects all throughout the day. She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Celestia, one of these days you should take a vacation," she said to her reflection.

She sighed to herself. I'm such a fool, she thought. She had ruined Luna and Phantom Void's day through her intervention. She felt terrible about it, but she hadn't been given the chance to apologize to Phantom Void yet. Luna had already been given an apology but Phantom Void still had yet to receive one.

"Tomorrow," she said aloud. "I'll tell him tomorrow morning as soon as possible."

Celestia started to get onto her bed to sleep, but stopped when she felt a disturbance nearby. It was familiar, yet unfamiliar as well. As she tried to determine what it was, a dark beam of magic blasted down her bedroom doors and Phantom Void himself walked into the room. A dark smokey trail was seen emitting from his eyes and vampiric fangs had sprouted from his mouth. A look of pure anger was in his eyes as he stared at Celestia.

"Phantom?" Celestia asked. "What's wrong?"

Phantom's response was to simply try to fire another blast at her. Celestia deflected the blast with a shield, but she was surprised at the amount of power that the Shadow Pony possessed. She fired a blast of her own, but it was blocked easily by Phantom. He then used his magic to entangle Celestia in tentacles of darkness. Celestia struggled, but she couldn't break free nor was her magic effective against it. Phantom laughed darkly.

"You were a fool to ruin Phantom's special day with your sister, Princess. Now, you will pay."

"Phantom, please listen! I'm sorry for what I did! I never-"

"Phantom? I'm not the Shadow Pony you know. I am Demon Distortion! Gaze upon me, for it's the last look you'll get of this world!"

Celestia was surprised, but even when trapped she was still trying to find a way to fix this. She couldn't contact Luna, for she'd be in the dream realm currently. None of her guards would be able to stop him either, and Demon Distortion may have already taken care of anypony who would likely stop by to help. Wait... _nopony_ could help, but she knew _someone_ who could. She could only hope that he would receive the message even while asleep. Celestia's horn glowed and her eyes turned white. Seeing this, Demon Distortion caused another tentacle to appear and grasp her throat. Her horn stopped glowing and her eyes returned to normal as the tentacle strangled her, but it didn't matter now. Her message had been sent.

She could only hope that he would get here in time...

* * *

TD's dream for once wasn't Equestria-based. This time, he dreamed that he was back home on Earth with his family, enjoying some quality time with his family members. They were all enjoying a movie together and it seemed so real that TD almost believed that it was real. The only thing that told him otherwise was the fact that he could still use his powers. As he watched the movie, Celestia's head suddenly appeared from out of the T.V. screen. TD screeched and unintentionally caused the entire scene to disappear in an explosion. They were now standing in a void-like landscape that looked suspiciously like Space.

"Don't do that!" TD angrily shouted. "I could've attacked you, and at my hands death is possible in a dream! Seriously, what was- wait..." TD noticed Celestia's expression and he softened into concern.

"Celestia? What's wrong?"

"TD! You need to get to Canterlot! Find Luna and bring her to Phantom Void! Something's wrong! He's- ah!"

Celestia suddenly crumpled down to the ground in pain. TD rushed up to her and caught her. Even in a dream, he knew that she could still die in it. The less damage she suffered in his dream, the better. She looked up at him and finished weakly, "Hurry, TD. I don't have much time left before he finishes me off."

TD was still concerned, but he put on a determined expression.

"Don't worry. I'll be there. In the meantime, this should help you hold out for a little while longer."

TD's hands glowed and enveloped Celestia with a bright aura, then her image disappeared completely. TD stood up as soon as she was gone and said aloud, "Now to wake up." As he said so, an anvil appeared above his head and fell down on him. The instant it connected with his head, he woke up and sat up on his bed. He looked down at his hands. Or hooves, as it turned out to be. It wasn't too surprising; he had the tendency to change forms in the middle of the night while he slept. It was then that TD noticed that something was pressed up against him and he turned to see what it was. It made him smile lovingly, despite the situation he had now.

Twilight lay sleeping beside him, her face wearing a peaceful expression. Her front hooves were wrapped around him in a loving embrace, but something else was wrapped around her as well. TD soon saw what it was: his snake-like tail, which was usually disguised to look like a pony's tail, was wrapped around her in a protective yet loving manner. He smiled warmly and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Sorry Twilight," TD whispered softly. "Celestia has called me to Canterlot for important business. I'll be back as soon as I can. But I will not leave you alone, technically speaking."

A dark stream exited from TD's form and turned into his darker personality. The dark personality whispered softly, "Go, I will watch her." He then turned to Twilight and smiled lovingly down at her sleeping form. TD smiled in satisfaction and disappeared without a sound, reappearing in a starry void. The dream realm of Equestria. The many dreams of all the Equestrians flew past him in the form of shining orbs which showed the shimmering images of their dreams on them. TD searched through them all until he found what he was looking for: Princess Luna dispelling a nightmare from the mind of a young filly. He grabbed the orb and peered into it, causing him to slowly enter the dream. TD's appearance in the dream startled Luna and she prepared to fire a burst of magic at him.

"Whoa, whoa! It's me!" he shouted, his hands up in a friendly manner. Realizing who it was, Luna lowered her guard.

"TD! What art thou doing here?" she asked.

"No time for the Medieval manner of speech Luna. We've got trouble outside the Dreamscape. Celestia is in trouble and something is wrong with Phantom Void!"

"What?" Luna asked in shock. "Take me to him!"

TD held out his hand to her, which she took immediately. They then found themselves in the hallway outside Celestia's room. TD heard Phantom and Celestia speaking inside.

"You have more fight in you than I thought," Phantom Void said, but his voice did not sound like his own. It was still dark, but this time it sounded evil. Also, TD could sense something else in charge of him.

"I have been saving my strength for a rainy day," Celestia stated in a weak voice. Considering that she was still alive, TD knew that his spell had worked and had made her more resilient to his attacks.

"Well, it will be raining when I'm finished here. Things can't get any worst for you, can they?"

"Howdy, Friar!" TD called as he walked into the room, his image having changed into the Sheriff of Nottingham from Disney's _Robin Hood_. "Well it looks like I dropped by just in time!"

Demon Distortion turned to TD in surprise, but before he could react TD's image returned to his human form and he fired a beam at Celestia, which branched out into several other beams and struck the tentacles that ensnared her. Celestia dropped to the floor, a thankful look on her face.

"YOU!" Demon Distortion exclaimed, a slight tone of fear in his voice.

"Surprise," TD said sarcastically. He then "snapped" his fingers and Demon Distortion disappeared.

"Where has he gone?" Luna asked.

"Out of doors, where we may fight freely if it comes to that. Come, we must follow after him."

"William, wait!" Celestia called. TD hesitated, as he had not heard Celestia call him by that name for several years.

"Whatever you do, don't kill him. His mind is not his own."

"You have my word, he will not be slain," TD promised. He then teleported himself and Luna out of the room.

* * *

Demon Distortion was standing in the town square of Canterlot and he was mad. The streams of smoke around his eyes seemed to get thicker as he looked around for TD.

"Where are you?!" he cried.

"Right here," TD replied as he appeared in front of him. Luna stood beside him, and she looked devastated. Distortion looked at her and then to TD.

"You...you've turned her against me!" he shouted accusingly.

"No, I have not. She has come here to try and talk some sense into you. I am simply here to make sure that you don't harm anyone."

"You're a little late for that, aren't you?" Distortion spat. "You couldn't stop me from harming those guards that I took down to get to the Princess!"

"Well, you can't be everywhere at once. Usually."

"Phantom, please!" Luna pleaded. "Celestia never meant any harm. She just felt protective! She never wanted you to feel this way!"

"Phantom Void is no more, Princess," Distortion stated.

"You can lie to yourself and to others, Demon," TD replied, "but the facts never do. Phantom Void is still in there; he's merely been suppressed by you. You blinded his reasoning with rage and tried to take a friend from him. Is it worth losing the love of your life too? I've seen where this leads before and it never ends well."

"Phantom, listen to me!" Luna said, her eyes filled with tears. "Please, don't do this! You kept your anger bottled up for too long and it has caused you to act this way! But there's still a chance to save yourself! Don't make the mistake I did all those years ago as Nightmare Moon! All that hate, all that anger you feel inside, just let it go! Please...come back to me! I love you!"

Phantom's eyes temporarily returned to their crimson red color and he started at the crying Princess.

"Luna?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes, it is I," Luna replied.

"I- I'm sorry... I don't want to kill her..." his eyes changed back to poison green. "But the demon will not be stopped!"

Phantom charged up a beam of magic and aimed it at Luna. Luna was too surprised and grief ridden to try and defend herself. TD, however, saw the attack coming and readied himself to defend Luna. He knew that Phantom Void didn't stand a chance against him, but he didn't want to hurt the Shadow Pony if possible.

"Phantom, don't!" TD warned. Phantom ignored the Lord of Chaos and fired his beam at Luna.

"Phantom, DON'T!"

A huge surge of energy suddenly burst from TD's body and collided with both Phantom and his beam of magic, pushing both back. Luna was still surprised, but she had regained enough of her senses to try and talk some sense into her coltfriend.

"Fight him, Phantom!" she pleaded. "Fight the demon!"

Phantom's eyes reverted back to normal, but the smokey trails still remained.

"Luna!" he cried. His eyes then returned to green and a howl of confused rage emitted from him as he placed a hoof to his head.

"He's fighting back!" TD shouted. "Keep it up!"

"Fight him, Phantom!"

"Luna!" Another howl and he clutched his head again. "I- I can't stop it!"

His voice suddenly changed into something different, which reminded TD of the Spirit of Jealousy from _The Amazing World of Gumball_.

"She's so annoying!" Phantom shouted, talking about Celestia. "She interrupted our date, she's always hovering over the two of us, and she doesn't even ask if we're okay about it! All she does is smile and act like there's nothing amiss! It angers me that she takes it all so calmly! How can someone act like that when she knows that she's a fault?!"

Luna was taken aback, but TD sensed that the demon was losing his grip as Phantom started venting our his anger. He was about to explain to Luna what to do next, but she beat him to it. Luna gave Phantom a smile and walked over to the Shadow Pony. She placed a hoof on his shoulder and said, "I know. She can be a pain. She's overprotective, a little demanding sometimes, and occasionally she has been known to act too proudly. But her heart is in the right place. I understand why you're mad, for I once had similar feelings towards her myself. Because of my jealousy and hatred towards her, I became Nightmare Moon and...well, we all know how that ended. But I found out that you can't hold a grudge against somepony like that, or it will destroy you. You need to learn to let go of your anger and forgive her for her faults, for we ourselves have our own faults. There's still time for redemption, if you will have it."

Phantom seemed to be struggling with himself, then tears started streaming down his face. His eyes turned back to normal and the smokey trails disappeared too. He buried his face in Luna's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"I know," Luna said gently, "I forgive you, and I'm willing to believe that she will forgive you too."

She hugged him tightly as he let out his tears. TD smiled while watching the scene play out. It was quite a heart-warming scene to him. They eventually released each other and turned to TD.

"I know that you've already been asked to do a lot tonight when you should be asleep," Luna started, "but-"

"Say no more, Luna."

TD teleported them back into the palace and let them speak to Celestia for a while as he fixed up the damage done to the place. It didn't take long with his powers and he was soon finished.

"...So, I ask for your forgiveness," he heard Phantom finish as he returned to the bedroom's interior.

"I forgive you, Phantom Void, and I have an apology to make too. I was hovering over the two of you too much. I shouldn't have intervened or tried to change anything about your relationship. I should've left you two alone from the start. And while it's no excuse for my actions, I hope you understand that I never intended any harm towards either of you. I'm sorry."

TD came in just as Celestia had finished. Phantom smiled and said, "Apology accepted." Satisfied, the three alicorns gathered together for a group hug.

"Well, glad everything worked out in the end," TD said once they had pulled apart. "I'd best be getting back."

"Goodnight, TD," Luna replied. "Thanks for thy help."

"No problem, doll face," TD said jokingly.

"Goodnight, William," Celestia said. "Sweet dreams my friend1"

TD smiled and disappeared through a small portal in the floor.

* * *

She hadn't moved much from her spot since he had left. TD smiled at Twilight's sleeping form, cradled in the arms of his dark personality. His dark side gave him a nod as TD turned into a mist that floated to his dark side and was absorbed within his form. His image changed back to his normal human form, but his eyes had changed into his draconic eyes, a sign that all three of his personalities were present and united. TD looked down at the sleeping mare in his arms and smiled lovingly at her. One of his hands started to stroke her mane as he drifted off to sleep again, still cradling her in his loving embrace.

Enjoying the company of his precious North Star as the night rolled on.

* * *

 **"The road** **goes ever on and on..." and so must I.**

 **Favorite the story if you like it, leave a review, and I'll catch y'all later! Peace!**


	23. Plank the Timber Wolf

**I need some better content, man! I'm starting to feel that I'm not giving enough sometimes.**

 **Please enjoy anyways!**

 **Heads up:** **This will mainly be a Zachary-centered episode. Also, I may have based some of this off of the YouTube video, "My Little Dashie". Nice video. I highly recommend it, although I will warn you that it gets quite sad near the end.**

* * *

A group of colts crowded around a young gray unicorn mare, bullying her around. Her eyes were closed and she was huddled down in a ball. The colts had attacked her as she was returning home, not giving her the luxury to leave. It was now close to evening and it was getting dark outside.

"Guys, leave me alone!" she pleaded. The only response was mocking laughter.

"Why should we?" one of them asked. "Your mom won't even notice that you're missing, considering that she can't see straight!"

They all laughed in an ugly manner and one of them threw a ball at her. Suddenly, a young child's voice called out behind them.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"

The group turned towards the voice to see a young pegasus colt standing before them. He was about three years old, but the look on his face was dead serious. He had a blue coat with green stripes, and both his mane and tail were red. One of his wings was blue, the other green. Both were larger than most pegasus wings for a pony of his age, but still too small to belong to an adult pony. However, what caught the colts' attention was his eyes. His eyes were purple in color, but instead of pony eyes, his were draconic eyes. They glowed in the low lighting, giving him an intimidating gaze. The clots took one look at him, then burst out laughing.

"And what are you going to do about it, dragon eyes?" the biggest of the group taunted. "Why don't you join Derpy Jr here so we can have twice the fun?"

"There's only two ways that this can end," the Pegasus said calmly yet sternly. "One, you walk away. Two, I walk on your face. Take your pick."

Although surprised at this statement, the colts still didn't take him seriously.

"Bruiser, take care of the runt," the leader ordered. One of the colts, a dark brown earth pony with beefy forelegs stepped towards the Pegasus with a wicked grin. The Pegasus sighed.

"Very well. I tried to warn you, but you leave me no choice."

The Pegasus's wings spread out on either side of him and glowed. Bruiser stopped when he saw this, getting the feeling that something bad was about to happen. As he watched, a beam of magic that was the same color of the Pegasus's eyes fired from each wing and struck Bruiser in the chest. Bruiser fell to the ground and groaned in pain. He wasn't hurt badly, but it still hurt just enough to make him think twice about getting up again. The rest of the group looked at the Pegasus in either fear or amazement at what they had seen. The Pegasus turned to them and his eyes seemed to have a fierce look in them.

"Who's next?" the Pegasus challenged. Only one of the other ponies stepped towards him, a unicorn with a smug expression. He fired a beam from his horn at the Pegasus, but a shield suddenly encased the Pegasus and blocked the beam. When the beam stopped, the shield wasn't even cracked. As the unicorn backed away in fear, the Pegasus's wings glowed again and the ground underneath the unicorn's feet suddenly turned into slippery soap suds. The unicorn slipped and fell to the ground, and he struggled to rise but kept slipping and falling down. The rest of them were simply watching with fear in their eyes. The Pegasus looked at them and said, "Last chance. Leave her alone." They didn't waste a minute and ran off in different directions, including the unicorn once he had regained his footing. The Pegasus waited until they were all gone before making the soap suds disappear in a flash. He then walked over to the mare and asked gently, "Are you alright?" His eyes were still glowing, but this time they glowed in a friendly and caring manner. The mare opened her eyes to look at him. Her eyes were blue, but didn't look quite right. Only one of them was looking straight at him, but both showed along with her expression that she was scared. The Pegasus smiled softly and said, "Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. Why don't we start with your name?"

"D-Dinky," the mare replied.

"Dinky? That's a nice name," the Pegasus said kindly. He extended his front hoof out to her in a friendly gesture. "My name's Zachary, but you can call me Zach."

Dinky now looked him in the eye and she seemed to calm down a bit. Zach didn't find it too surprising. Anyone who looked into his eyes usually could tell he was a nice kid and usually was not afraid of him. He helped her to her feet and asked, "Do you live far from here? I can take you home if you'd like."

"Really? Oh, thank you! My mother must be so worried about me."

Zach chuckled and walked with her down the streets of Ponyville towards her house. What few onlookers were up and about in the streets at this time found it odd to see a three-year old pegasus escorting a mare at least five years older than he was down the street at this time. However, those same onlookers knew who it was that escorted her and didn't say anything about it, for they knew that the mare was in good hooves. After a minute or two, Zach and Dinky arrived outside a small house. A grey pegasus with walleyes was just finishing a conversation with a lavender colored alicorn and a blood-red unicorn. She noticed then coming and called out, "Dinky!"

"Mommy!" Dinky called back, rushing to her and giving her a hug. The alicorn and the unicorn had noticed this as well and smiled at the sight. The alicorn, of course, was Princess Twilight Sparkle and the unicorn beside her was TD in his pony form. Just to prove that it was him, his draconic eyes glowed in the low lighting, in an intimidating fashion. Only Twilight, her friends and Zach ever saw any other expression in those eyes.

"Zachary!" Twilight cried out to the young pegasus.

"Hi, mommy!" Zach rushed to Twilight and gave her a big hug.

"Sounds like someone had to make a detour on his way here," TD chuckled.

"Where were you?" Derpy asked Dinky (for that was the pegasus's name).

"I- I...don't want to talk about it," Dinky said with tears in her eyes.

"What? Why not?"

Dinky was silent, but then she heard a voice softly ask her, "Do you want me to explain?" It was Zach's voice, but she hadn't heard him speak directly.

"It's okay," Zach's voice said comfortingly, "I'm speaking to you with my mind. Don't be afraid. Do you want me to explain?"

Dinky turned to Zach and nodded. Derpy was a bit confused, but Twilight and TD simply nodded knowingly, for they understood.

"Mam, Dinky was attacked by some bullies on her way here. I just happened to be passing by and decided to help her out."

"Oh, is that all?" Derpy said kindly. She gave Dinky another hug and kissed her forehead. "There there, Dinky! It's alright."

Zach smiled at the heartwarming scene and a few tears fell from his eyes. TD noticed this and chuckled.

"Guess you inherited that from me too, little guy," he said aloud. Zach looked up at TD and his smiled seemed to widen a bit.

"Well, I'm glad to see that everything worked out in the end," Twilight said politely. "We'd better get going. It's close to Zach's bedtime and he tends to get a little cranky without any rest."

"It's true," Zach replied, "Last time, I ended up turning all of the floors into lava."

Derpy and Dinky looked to TD upon hearing this, to which he replied, "Don't ask." He then said, "Goodnight, Derpy! Sleep well!"

"Goodnight!" Derpy and Dinky called out, as TD pulled a portal gun out of nowhere. He fired one at his feet and that of his family, and another towards the Castle of Friendship. After a second, they suddenly fell through the portal under their feet and the portal disappeared.

* * *

A pack of Timber Wolves left the Everfree Forest in pursuit of a lone Timber Wolf female that was carrying something in its mouth. The female rushed quickly past a series of houses and made a quick turn, hoping to lose its pursuers. It turned to the Castle of Friendship and rushed quickly into the shadows that it cast upon the ground. The pack rushed past her, unaware of her trick, but they would soon catch on. The Timber Wolf female laid its quarry down as she rested for a brief minute, then rushed from the shadows yet again, back towards the Everfree forest. Her pursuers noticed this and chased after her, this time making more noise than earlier. The noise woke up some of the residents of Ponyville and a cry rang through the town: "Timber Wolves!" The citizens that awoke screamed in fear and shut their doors. Hearing the commotion, Twilight and TD both ran out onto the balcony of the castle and looked down at Ponyville. TD was still in his pony form.

"William, what do you see?" Twilight asked him, knowing that his vision in that form far exceeded her own.

"A pack of Timber Wolves, just leaving Ponyville. Most of them are headed back into the Everfree Forest, but some are lingering about."

"Should we go down there?"

"Well we can't have them snooping around like Shaggy and Scooby-Doo looking for some food, can we?"

"Mom? Dad? What's going on?" Zach asked, having been awoken by the commotion outside.

"A small Timber Wolf problem," TD replied bluntly. "Stay here please. Make sure that none of them get into the castle."

TD's horn glowed and he and Twilight both disappeared in a flash of light. Shortly after, another flash of light appeared down in the streets below, suggesting that they had teleported there. Zach waited for them to be gone, then he teleported himself downstairs and in front of the doors. He looked left to right around him, making sure that no Timber Wolves came his way. But none came, and after a while all of the noise died down. A large plume of fire and smoke was seen in the distance from where Zach was standing.

"Dad must be burning the remains of the Timber Wolves so they can't reform," Zach noted. He started to walk back inside when he heard a small whimper. He stopped and looked around outside.

"Hello?" he called. The whimper came again and Zach turned towards one of the clusters of shadows made by the castle at this hour. It was too dark for most ponies to see anything there, but Zach had possessed TD's ability to see in the dark with his draconic eyes. As such, Zach noticed a small dog-like figure lying on the ground and whimpering. He stepped closer and gasped at what he saw. It was a Timber Wolf cub, roughly the same size of a young filly. No terrible smell came from it like most Timber Wolves, possibly because of its age. It noticed Zach and whimpered again, starring into his draconic eyes.

"Hi there," Zach said softly so as not to scare the cub, "What are you doing here? Where's your mother?"

The pup simply whimpered and crawled up to Zach with some difficulty. It was so young that it could barely walk. It's snout touched Zach's front leg and Zach's eyes suddenly turned pure white, no pupils whatsoever, but still glowing. His eyes returned to normal after a few more seconds and he looked down at the pup with sympathy.

"I see," he said in a comforting tone. "You poor thing! You're all alone now, aren't you?"

The cub simply responded by lifting its head and looking up at Zach. Zach lowered his head down to the pup's level and a tiny tongue licked his face. He smiled and giggled a bit when this happened. He then had an idea.

"I can't leave you here, little guy," he said to the pup. "So I am going to keep you. That is, if Mom and Dad will let me. What do you say, boy? Want to come home with me?"

The pup looked up at him and gave a tiny bark, his way of saying yes. Zach smiled and spread his wings out a bit. His wings glowed, then the pup suddenly found himself held up by a magical aura. Zach giggled at the pup's confusion.

"Don't worry, little guy!" he said reassuringly, "You'll get used to it."

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Twilight said.

"Sure, why not?" TD said at the same time.

Realizing what happened, Twilight and TD looked at each other in surprise. TD groaned and smacked his forehead.

"Great! Now we're dealing with one of _these_ cliches."

Twilight rolled her eyes. Zach simply chuckled and waited patiently for a proper response. This wasn't the first time something similar had happened between his parents. Twilight looked at the Timber Wolf, then back to TD.

"It's a Timber Wolf, William! Do you have any idea how dangerous they are?"

"So? It's only a puppy at the moment, plenty of time to change his ways from whatever they turn into when growing up. Besides, I'm very dangerous too, yet here I am! Just because someone or something is dangerous doesn't mean that you can't change the ways they think."

Twilight opened her mouth to argue, then stopped. Sadly, TD was right.

"Fine!" she finally gave in. She turned to Zach, giving him her full attention. "But he's your responsibility, young stallion. And if anything bad comes of this in the future-"

"Blame it on the guy who actually did it," Zachary finished with a smirk. TD chuckled.

"Well, what do you know? The kid is already picking up after me."

* * *

And that's how Plank the Timber Wolf became an official member of the Sparkle family. Zach took almost complete responsibility over the Timber Wolf, although TD admittedly helped out once or twice. The first thing Zach taught Plank to do was, obviously, how to behave. The Timber Wolf was a quick learner and was very enthusiastic to say the least. He practically followed the young pegasus everywhere he went, even to school. It was a bit startling at first to see a Timber Wolf following Zach around as if he were any normal dog, but thankfully not many ponies actually made a fuss out of it. After all, Zach _was_ the son of a powerful chaotic being. By now, they might as well have considered such strange happenings to be normal in that family. Thankfully for the family, Plank didn't let off the terrible odors that most Timber Wolves let off, though why this was so even TD couldn't figure out, but he wasn't gonna complain.

Zach started to keep track of all of Plank's progress from the very start. He had tried to get the Timber Wolf lessons in speech, but apparently Timber Wolves didn't possess the capacity in their minds to talk. However, he did manage to get Plank to learn how to communicate with the family using the telepathic link that Zach had created with his parents. Plank also learned how to communicate with other ponies who didn't possess a telepathic link themselves using basic signals or motions. He was well liked by the residents of Ponyville. Even the less desirable folks admitted that the beast was pretty cool. Yet, the one subject Zach never brought up with Plank was his upbringing. He had figured out (through the use of a few spells his dad had taught him) that the reason Plank had been left was because the others had thought him to be too weak and had tried to kill him. Zach kept silent about it and even hid the book in the library on Timber Wolves. Plank may not have been able to actually speak, but he was apparently intelligent enough to read. The family had figured this out when he had helped rearrange a series of letters around to correct a word that a filly at the school was having trouble with. At first, everyone had just thought it to be a one-time coincidence, until Plank demonstrated similar skill a second time. Zach made sure that it was legitimate by asking the Timber Wolf to pronounce several sentences to him, all of which the Timber Wolf passed with flying colors.

Twilight may have been the only reluctant family member to bring Plank into the family, but she quickly warmed up to the Timber Wolf. She especially enjoyed studying his habits and behaviors up close, though she made sure to ask Plank politely first. TD enjoyed Plank's company as well, but he mostly seemed to think of the Timber Wolf as a pet. Plank didn't hold this against him thankfully, for to be fair that was the original intention and Plank hadn't given him any other indication. But Zach thought of it all differently. In his eyes, Plank was like a son to him, despite his young age. That sounded odd for a pegasus who was still essentially a toddler, but Zach had always acted more mature for his age and always seemed to behave more responsibly than other toddlers. Zach enjoyed every moment he could spend with Plank, sometimes even going out of his way to set aside playtime for the two of them. Zach was always happy to have Plank as a member of the family, but he became happier still the day when Plank finally said it to him. He had been tucking the still-youthful Timber Wolf in bed, when he heard the Timber Wolf speak through their telepathic link.

"Goodnight, Daddy," the Timber Wolf said, "I love you!"

Zach was honestly startled to hear this, but he still managed to respond accordingly.

"I love you Plank," he replied. "Goodnight!"

Zach left the room and went downstairs into the lounge room his dad had installed in the Castle of Friendship, still going over what the Timber Wolf had said to him. It was one of the happiest moment of his life.

"He called me 'Daddy'", the pegasus said aloud, "I've never felt so happy before! I feel like a proud father."

"I remember feeling that way myself when you were born," a voice said from the darkness. Zach turned to the voice, although he already knew who it belonged to. TD's draconic eyes glowed in the low lighting as he trotted over to his son in his pony form. From any onlooker's view, other than being different colors, their eyes were stark contrasts of each other: the one's glowing evily and in an intimidating manner, the other's glowing with compassion, kindness, and love. Zach was one of the few ponies who could see the human's true feelings that were portrayed in his eyes, and they were currently looking at his son with pride and love.

"Did I ever tell you about the time when your mother and I first heard that we were going to have a baby?" TD asked with a smile.

"I don't think so," Zach answered honestly.

"Well, your mother was the first to figure it out after she took a trip to the doctor. She told me when I got home about the pregnancy. I'll admit, I almost burst with joy when I heard the news. Literally."

Zach giggled when he heard this, for he had seen his father do such an act before. TD then continued.

"We heard that the child was due in about ten more months, so we waited. And waited. Your mother would often feel super tired and, I'll admit, I got annoyed at times with the waiting. But as the time drew near, and the day for the baby to arrive got closer, I kept asking myself, 'Who is this little boy or girl going to be?'"

TD placed a hoof on his son's shoulder.

"Zach, I am so glad that _you_ were that child. I'm so proud of you."

Zach beamed his father a smile of his own when he heard this. TD gave his son a hug which the young pegasus returned gladly. They sat there for a moment, before TD released him and said, "Well, you'd better get to bed now. We have a big day tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Zach asked.

TD's eyes gave off a little playful twinkle.

"I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

Zach nodded and spread out his wings. The wings glowed for a moment, then he disappeared in a flash of light. TD waited for him to be gone fully, then he too teleported away, back to his own bedroom.

 **One Year Later...**

Zachary couldn't remember a day where he had felt so sad before. His mom and dad had gone out for a special night together, leaving Zach and Plank alone at the castle. Zach left temporarily to get something to eat for the night, and when he returned, his heart sank. Plank had just finished closing a book when the young pegasus returned and the title was all too familiar to Zach. Plank set the book on Timber Wolves down and looked into the pegasus's eyes.

"How long have you known about this?" Plank's voice demanded in Zach's head.

"Plank, I-"

"How long have you known about this?!" he demanded again, snarling in anger.

Zach knew that it would hurt, but he had no other choice. He used his magic to place the book back on the shelf, then sat down and told Plank everything. He didn't leave out a single detail. When he was done, Plank rushed into Zach's room and shut the door. Zach decided to leave him alone for a moment, but later when he came up to check on Plank, the room was empty and Zach's bedroom window was open. He was overcome with sorrow to have his little cub leave him, although he wasn't too worried about what would happen to him. Plank was a smart Timber Wolf, smart enough to avoid ponies in case they ever saw him as a threat. What truly worried Zach was that Plank had disconnected from the telepathic link that they had towards each other. Naturally, TD and Twilight both figured out about Plank's disappearance when they got back. They advised Zach to leave Plank alone for a moment.

"He will come back," they said reassuringly, "He just needs time to sort it all out in his head."

Zach followed their advice, but for the next two days he would leave the Castle during the night and go into the Everfree Forest. There, he would sit himself down and cried sleep. Twilight and TD both noticed him leave each time, but they didn't try to follow him. None of the creatures in the Everfree Forest dared attack the young pegasus, for they could sense TD's powers radiate off him and wisely kept their distance. On the third day, Zach's sorrow caused a small rainstorm to appear above him as he cried. What kept most creatures away this time was the fact that it was acid rain that poured from the clouds above him.

"I'm sorry," he said aloud as the rain poured off him harmlessly. "I'm so, so sorry!"

Just then, a twig snapped nearby. Zach lifted his head slightly to see a full-grown Timber Wolf looking at him with tears in its own eyes. The expression it gave off was one of sadness too. It was Plank. Zach watched as the Timber Wolf slowly walked over to him and sat himself down next to him. Plank was nearly twice Zach's size, which seemed odd to see, but neither of them cared. Zach noticed that the acid rain didn't seem to affect Plank in any manner whatsoever.

"I heard you," his voice said in Zach's mind as he let out a sad whimper, "and, I'm sorry too."

Zach looked at Plank fully this time. The night lighting coupled with the overhanging clouds above made his eyes glow softly in the dark, giving off their caring look. Plank's eyes were also glowing in the darkened environment.

"Plank," Zach replied, "you have _nothing_ to be sorry about. I should've told you sooner instead of hiding it from you. I'm the one who should be sorry."

Plank let out a whine and leaned up against the pegasus.

"Dad?" he asked, "Do you- do you still love me?"

Suddenly, Zach threw his hooves around the Timber Wolf and hugged him tightly. Plank was surprised, but he soon returned the embrace.

"What kind of question is that?" Zach asked, still crying a little as he spoke. "I may not be your real parent, but you're still my little puppy. My Plank. It will take more than a fight like that to change anything."

Plank's tail wagged in a happy manner as the acid rain stopped pouring and the moon shone down upon the two figures. After releasing from the embrace, Zach looked up at Plank and asked, "So, does this mean you'll come back to the castle?"

"I think I've outgrown it by now," Plank answered. "But I can still stop by on occasion. Promise me you'll keep in touch."

"I will, and you'd better do the same."

"Done. I love you, Dad."

"And I love you too, Planky."

They gave each other one last hug, then Plank stood up and walked off into the forest, occasionally casting a glance back at the young pegasus. Zach waited until he had disappeared entirely, then shed one final tear. He was really going to miss seeing him around all the time, but he didn't feel so sad anymore. He was proud of his little pup and wished the best for him. Zach turned and walked back in the direction of Ponyville, deciding to take the scenic route this time on his way back. As he walked, he heard a Timber Wolf's howl in the distance behind him. Even though this was the first time that he had ever heard it, somehow he knew that it was Plank howling, giving his daddy one last goodbye. Zach smiled and whispered, "Goodnight, Plank," as he continued home in the dark.

* * *

 **Whoo! I wish this was a Hearts and Hooves special, but sadly no. But what's done is done, and this was pretty good on the whole.**

 **Favorite, review, and I'll see y'all next time!**


	24. Saving the Past and Future

**"I'm still standing!" Neat song! If you haven't heard it yet, you should check it out.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

TD bolted upright in bed as he awoke. He rubbed his eyes and groaned. He had just received a nightmare, a nightmare about a particular figure that he had hoped to never see again in his dreams. True, that figure was long dead, but it still gave TD the chills. The figure in question, while not even close to being a serious threat to TD's powers, had been a slippery person to deal with. He had threatened much that TD had held dear back then. TD was thankful that he wasn't as dangerous as his greatest enemy, but the methods he had used made him shudder. TD rubbed his head as if suffering from a headache, only just then realizing that he was in his Changeling form. It was funny to him that he would change forms in his sleep, but it was not enough of a problem to be worried about. If anything, it reminded him who he was most of the times and forced him to stop and think before he made any rash decisions. TD changed into his human form and looked around him. Even though his change of forms made him unable to see in the dark as well, he could still barely see the sleeping form of Twilight Sparkle beside him. Her soft breathing calmed him down a bit and he breathed a sigh of relief. Nightmare or no nightmare, he was glad to know that she was okay. For him, that's all that mattered. Just then, she stirred a little in her sleep, and her face got a troubled expression. She murmured a little and seemed to be fighting something off. TD smiled and brought one of his hands to her mane. He stroked her mane and whispered softly, "Don't worry. I'll take care of you. All's well." He repeated this a few more times, and she calmed down again. Her smile returned to her face, and TD smiled again. She looked so peaceful and so cute when she was sleeping. His mind carried back to an earlier time when he had first seen her like that...

 **Almost seven years ago...**

TD walked quietly through the Castle of Friendship, so as not to wake anybody, as he tiptoed up into Twilight's bedroom. He opened the door softly and shut it behind him, leaving the room in almost complete darkness. She was still asleep when he came in, but she did stir a little in her sleep.

"So peaceful," TD muttered to himself as he stared down at her sleeping form. "Unaware of my very presence, unable to fight back. I could end it all, right here and now, and nothing could stop me."

TD raised a hand as if to strike her down, then lowered it again.

"Too easy. There's no fun in killing someone in cold blood. Besides, she looks kinda cute when she's sleeping like that. No seriously, look at that face and tell me it's not cute. I would hate to kill her while she's like this. It's so much better when you fight them face to face."

A noise was heard from outside the door, and TD sensed that someone, possibly Starlight, had woken and was taking a look around. He stole one last look at Twilight and whispered, "Sleep well, young Princess. This one moment, had you awoke, I may have been your equivalent to a friend. Come tomorrow, however, we will once again be enemies on the field of battle."

TD silently disappeared from the room, the door opening just as soon as he was gone and the figure of Starlight Glimmer peered around the room. Seeing no one, she quietly closed the door again and left for her own room.

 **Back to the present...**

TD's memory returned to the present as he continued to stroke the sleeping mare's mane. It was so ironic to him that seven years ago, he could've cared less what bothered her. Now, he would take it all back if that was a possibility. Sadly, such an option wasn't available and he often struggled inwardly from the guilt he felt inside. Until he remembered that he was forgiven, not just by the Equestrians and their friends, but by her as well. It wasn't easy being the good guy and there were times when he missed being evil, but then again, he didn't have **_her_** back then. Twilight made all the difference to him, and he wouldn't trade her for all the evil and chaos in existence. He smiled softly and pulled her into a loving embrace as he lay back down on the bed. She stirred slightly, but still didn't wake. As his eyes started to close, he was vaguely aware of her nuzzling up to him in her sleep. TD returned the nuzzling and soon fell asleep again, with his North Star snuggled up safely in his arms.

* * *

Chrysalis sulked in the dark cave she had found out in the wilderness of Equestria. Yet another day had passed and she was still nowhere close to exacting her revenge against Starlight Glimmer or Princess Twilight. She hissed in anger.

"If only I never had to deal with them in the first place!" she snarled, "Then I could've had all of Equestria to feed on!"

Suddenly, she stopped and seemed to realize what she had just said. An idea came to her and an evil smile formed on her lips.

"Chrysalis, you are a genius," she said to herself. "I just need the right spell."

Chrysalis walked up to a special place in her cave where she kept some of the odds and ends she had collected over time. She pulled out a scroll from amongst the junk and began to read from it...

* * *

TD was normally not a fan of conflict. Back on Earth, he always avoided a fight if he could, and tried to be on the passive side of things. But he noticeably got into a maddened frenzy if that conflict centered around Twilight. It was a side of him that even he was surprised to see, but didn't necessarily find unwelcomed.

And it especially showed today.

TD had woken up to find that the Castle had completely disappeared, leaving only the map. Even so, the map itself looked old and out of place. TD thought he was dreaming at first, but a quick spell told him otherwise. He looked around him, just now noticing that Twilight was nowhere to be found, or even Zachary for that matter. Heck, now that TD had taken a good look around for real, all of Ponyville looked broken and rundown, vines and overgrowth encasing the houses. He shuddered and looked around for anyone familiar, and saw what appeared to be Pinkie Pie. No, not Pinkie Pie. A different Changeling, and it was unreformed. Behind it, flying in the sky, was an entire swarm of the creatures. TD was taken aback as he noticed this all. Laughter came from behind him, and he turned to see Queen Chrysalis standing before him.

"You!" he growled, "I thought that you were gone for good!"

"You thought wrong," Chrysalis said. "I hope you like what I've done with the place. It's quite the improvement."

"I've seen better," TD scoffed. Then in a more serious tone, "Where's Twilight and Zach?"

"Who?" Chrysalis asked in mock confusion.

"What have you done to my wife and child, you disease ridden parasite?!" TD demanded dangerously. Normally, the look in his eyes was enough to intimidate anyone who faced him. But it was not the case now.

"Oh, that." Chrysalis laughed. "Took you long enough. I simply made sure that she wouldn't be around to stop me anymore. In fact, I guess you could say that you two never met."

TD realized with a shock what she meant.

"Time Travel?" he asked no one in particular. He then fell to his knees as it dawned on him of what had happened.

"No... Twi! Zach!"

TD burst into tears and Chrysalis simply laughed.

"Yes, now you realize! I promised to inflict pain on you like you could never imagine, and it seems that I have finally done it! Now, my children and I can live off the love we've stored for generations! Equestria is mine now. There's no one to save you. You have lost, TD."

"No. No, no, no," TD said quietly, as if in defeat. He then lifted his head to look at her. An expression of anger and sorrow was in his eyes.

"You're wrong. I haven't lost yet, and you have made a deadly mistake."

Energy started to build around TD, causing the entire area to darken and chaos to erupt all across Equestria. The chaos that ensued was exactly like the chaos he had released almost six years ago; a chaos that could kill. Fiery fissures opened in the ground; storm clouds with red lightning appeared, causing massive thunderstorms; and so much more. All in response to TD's emotions. Chrysalis stepped back in fear as TD built up more power, crying out in both rage and sorrow. Changelings nearby tried to stop him, but an unseen force pushed them away.

"No!" Chrysalis screeched. She tried to fire a blast at TD, but it was too late. TD "snapped" his fingers, and a massive magical explosion erupted from his body and engulfed all of Equestria and beyond.

* * *

TD looked around him as his vision returned. All around him, Equestria was nothing but a wasteland for as far as the eye could see. TD had only seen such a thing once before; on the Season 5 finale, when Twilight had showed Starlight Glimmer the consequences of her actions. Only this time, it had been caused by his hand in the blink of an eye. At first, he wondered why he had done it. Then, he remembered. TD fell to the ground and wept loudly, his voice seeming to carry on for miles upon miles. He stayed there for several minutes, then suddenly slammed a fist to the ground in anger.

"No!" he said angrily. "I will NOT accept it!"

Summoning his energy, he "snapped" his fingers and a confused Chrysalis appeared in front of him.

"What the-?! How did I- what did you-?"

TD forcibly grabbed her by the side of the head and his hands glowed. Chrysalis screeched in pain, but seemed unable to move away or resist.

"How far back did you go?" TD demanded. Chrysalis said nothing, so TD made his hands glow brighter. Chrysalis screeched in pain.

"HOW FAR!?" TD demanded again.

"W- wedding," Chrysalis finally hissed out. TD released her and, summoning a ton of energy, he smacked her hard in the jaw. A sickening "crunch!" was heard as her head twisted at an angle, and Chrysalis fell to the ground, presumably dead. TD then pulled out a shiny orb and looked into it. An image appeared on it that showed Canterlot from many years ago, long before TD had even arrived in Equestria.

"Cadence and Shining's wedding," TD said aloud. "Hold on, Twi. I'm coming."

The orb shone brighter and brighter, until it had engulfed TD entirely in light, as his being was sent back in time...

* * *

Princess Cadence rested on the bed provided for her in the castle as she prepared for the wedding to arrive. It was going to be glorious to say the least. The bridesmaids were ready, the invitations had been sent, and the ceremony was all set. Shining Armor was waiting in another room, currently making a routine check of the protective spell around Canterlot. Cadence chuckled a bit. He was cute, but so gullible too.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Cadence said without turning around. She heard the door close behind her, then suddenly a familiar voice said, "You do look dazzling to behold in that attire. I only regret that it didn't work the first time."

Cadence turned around to see Chrysalis standing in the room, beaming a proud smile.

"What the- how- who are you?" Cadence asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm you, and you are me," Chrysalis replied with a smile.

Cadence was silent, then chuckled.

"Guess there's no point in hiding anything from myself, is there?"

Cadence's form changed into another Chrysalis and the two looked each other over.

"Well, I'll admit, seeing my future self is alarming," Past Chrysalis said, "but not the weirdest thing I've seen."

"While I'd like to explain, there's not much time," Future Chrysalis replied. "Your attack will not succeed, that I know from personal experience. However, I have a suggestion..."

Chrysalis whispered something into her past self's ear. Past Chrysalis listened intently, then said, "That, my dear self, is an excellent idea!"

The two Changeling Queens shared an evil laugh. Then, Past Chrysalis put on her Cadence disguise, while Future Chrysalis put on the disguise of a servant to Cadence and started to fix up her mane.

* * *

TD almost regretted coming back in time. Sure, he was doing it to save his family, and essentially all of Equestria too, but it was still a painful experience to try and remember to stay undercover. TD walked out of the shadows of a building in his pony form, sunglasses on. He looked around Canterlot for the one pony he hoped would be able to help. Twilight would most likely be trapped by now in Chrysalis's makeshift prison for Cadence, so that was out of the question. No, he'd need someone else, someone he knew would understand to some extent...

At last, he found her.

Applejack had just gotten out a room in the castle from freshening up for the ceremony. She was just about to join her friends to head for the ceremony, when she heard a "psst!" behind her. She turned to look, unaware that her friends had moved on, not hearing the same voice. Applejack walked over to the corner of the hall in confusion, and was startled when a hoof pulled her around and covered her mouth. She struggled, but stopped when she heard the pony speak.

"Please don't scream," TD said quickly yet gently, "I'm not trying to abduct you or anything. I just needed to speak with you for a moment. I'm gonna let you go now and trust you not to freak."

He released his grip from AJ, but then smacked himself in the head.

"Wait!" he scolded himself, "Wouldn't this cause another time paradox thingy or what not? Oh, but I can't undo what I have done. Applejack, I need your help."

"Uh, who are you again?" Applejack asked.

"They call me TD, but if I told you what it stood for, you'd probably try to attack me. Long story short, I am from the future. I'm trying to prevent Twilight from getting killed by a Changeling attack. I need you to-"

"Hold on a minute!" Applejack said angrily. "Ya really think that Ah'm gonna believe that?"

"Look into my eyes and tell me that I'm lying," TD said calmly, as he removed his sunglasses. Applejack was shocked when she saw his eyes, but still stared into them like he asked. After a good minute, she said, "Well, shoot."

"I know, right," TD said with a chuckle.

"So, why do ya need _my_ help?"

"You can vouch for me when I try to enter the wedding. Otherwise, there's no way I'm getting in uninvited."

"Gotcha," she nodded. Just then, they heard music playing behind the corner.

"It's startin'. We'd better get a move on," Applejack stated.

TD smiled and replaced his sunglasses, then made a tuxedo appear on him for the occasion.

"Lead the way."

TD and Applejack walked back towards the ceremony as if they were two good friends. Naturally, they were stopped outside the doors at first, but Applejack managed to get a word in for TD and they got by without any further trouble. TD took a seat in the crowd and waited...

* * *

TD watched as Chrysalis revealed herself before the crowd of ponies, laughing wickedly. So far, it looked like what would normally happen. But something isn't right, he said to himself. He groaned as he listened to Chrysalis talk. Stop with the monologue and get on with it already!

"...Soon my Changeling army will break through! First we take Canterlot, then all of Equestria!"

"No, you won't," Celestia said calmly as she trotted over to Chrysalis. It was then that TD realized what was wrong.

"She's much too close to her. And that energy..."

Suddenly, he realized the trap just as Celestia spoke again with a smirk.

"At least, not alone."

Celestia's image changed into another Chrysalis- TD's Chrysalis- and laughed as the ponies all gasped in fear. Twilight and Cadence, who were still near the doors, were just as bad.

"What?" Cadence exclaimed. "That's impossible!"

"Oh, I beg to differ!" Chrysalis stated in a calm demeanor. "There is so much that you can't possibly fathom, my dear Cadence."

"Come, future me!" the first Chrysalis shouted. "Let us end this together!"

The two Changeling Queens charged up a blast and fired it at Cadence, who naturally was unable to compete in her weakened condition. Then, they turned to Twilight. Twilight stepped back, trying to leave, but suddenly, many of the guests stepped in her way and their own disguises disappeared, revealing them to be Changelings too. The shield outside caved in and the Changeling swarm charged through Canterlot. Twilight was trapped by the Changelings in a kind of goo-like substance that glued her to the floor. Chrysalis and her doppelganger laughed again.

"How does it feel?" Future Chrysalis taunted, "To watch all that you know fall apart?"

She and past Chrysalis combined their magic, charged up a beam together, and fired at Twilight with the intention to kill. Her friends cried out, but in vain. There was nothing that could be done.

A sudden blast intercepted their own as TD finally revealed himself. He had teleported in front of the blast at the last minute and easily countered the spell. His sunglasses had fallen off, revealing his intimidating expression. Even without low lighting, his gaze looked dangerous.

"What?!" Past Chrysalis shouted in surprise.

"No!" Future Chrysalis screeched, "How did you follow me?"

"Who- who are you?" Twilight asked in equal surprise. TD hardly seemed to notice her as he stared at the two Queens.

"I am the Master of Fire, Lord of Chaos, and Time Lord of Evil. I'm the Darkest Day, yet the Brightest Morning. I am your best friend or your worst nightmare. I am the Terror of Dimensions, and I warned you of what would happen if you attacked again, Chrysalis of the Future! I see that you ignored my advice. You took someone from me in the future through your actions in the past! Now, YOU WILL PAY!"

TD fired a blast at Future Chrysalis and she dispersed in a cloud of particles. The Changelings nearby attempted to attack him, but a glow from his horn suddenly tossed them aside like rag dolls. He then turned his eyes to the Chrysalis of the Past, and she trembled in fear. An unseen force grabbed the Changeling Queen and pinned her to the ground. TD stood over her form and let her see the truth about him. She seemed paralyzed as TD prepared yet another blast, this time to kill. No mercy would be shown...

"Stop!" a painfully familiar voice shouted. TD turned to see Twilight looking at him with a familiar expression, an expression he had seen her use when Lord Rage Wolf had attacked: horror mixed with a pleading look. TD groaned and tears appeared in his eyes.

"Darn it, Twi!" he said with sadness in his voice, "Why do you have to have so much influence over me, even in the past?"

He sighed, then turned back to Chrysalis and said, "If you ever cross paths with me in the future again, pray that I am as forgiving as I am now!"

A glow appeared from the other side of the room and TD turned to see Shining Armor and Cadence with their horns touching, creating a massive energy surge that was starting to expell the Changelings from Canterlot. He smiled and released Chrysalis, letting her be taken away as well. He breathed a sigh of relief. The past had been saved, and the future was fixed.

But more importantly, his family had been saved too.

* * *

The rest of the wedding went off as normal, after TD had found Celestia and freed her from a cocoon he found in her bedroom. Shining Armor and Cadence were married and TD got the privilege of listening to Twilight's singing in person. But, as much as he enjoyed the moment, he knew that it wasn't to last. So after the song, he sneaked away to an alley and started to prepare the spell required to return to present. His horn glowed, but then stopped when he heard hoofsteps approaching him. TD may not have been a genius, but he somehow knew that it was her before she had even said a word.

"TD, wait!" Twilight called, coming to a stop at the entrance to the alley. TD sighed and turned to face her. He was still in his pony form and his sunglasses had not been replaced, so his draconic eyes shone brightly in the darkened alley. Yet, Twilight didn't recoil in fear like some of the guests had earlier. Even in the past, she somehow saw the true emotions given off his eyes.

"Yes Prin- Twilight?" TD asked, catching himself in the middle of his sentence. She's not a Princess yet, he reminded himself.

"I...never did get to thank you for saving my life."

"Oh! Well, you're welcome."

"But, I'm a bit confused as to why. I mean, that was a noble deed and all, but you seemed to act out of...something more."

"Oh?" TD already had a feeling where this was going. "Like what?"

"Like I meant something to you. Like I was...special."

TD smiled and said, "I guess you could say that. I'm not sure how much you were told about me-"

"Applejack told me what she learned, and Celestia filled me in on some additional details."

"Did she now?" TD chuckled. "I swear, I will never fully understand that mare."

TD smiled again at his future wife and said softly, "Wow. Even in the past, you're just as beautiful as ever."

TD turned back to the wall behind him and started to work on the portal again.

"Wait," Twilight said in a soft voice. TD stopped again and turned back to her.

"Why?" Twilight asked, "Why did you save me? You're a complete stranger, yet you saved my life. Why did you do it?"

TD smiled and walked over to her. Twilight was confused, but didn't try to move away. TD got up close to her and lifted her head to look him fully in the eye.

"Oh, Twily," he said softly, "If you only knew how much you mean to me in the future."

Twilight was shocked, but was even more so when he planted a quick yet loving kiss on her cheek. She looked at him again and saw an expression she didn't expect; one of love. TD gave her another smile.

"Goodbye, my North Star. I'll see you in the future. Kick my flank for me when you see me again. Oh, and here's a little secret on how to stop me on my one of my attempts to take your world."

TD's horn glowed and touched her own. Twilight's eyes became white for a moment, then returned to normal. When she looked up, TD was already leaving through a portal in the side of the wall. On the other side, she could see Ponyville, but there was something on the other side she didn't recognize; a large tree-like structure made of crystal. TD cast one last look back at her, and waved goodbye. He then jumped through the portal and it closed behind him. Twilight sat there for a moment longer, a hundred questions going through her head. She was still staring at the wall when Applejack came around the corner.

"Twi? Are you okay, sugarcube?" she asked.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, then put on a smile as she turned to her friend.

"Yeah. Just thinking."

"It's TD, ain't it? He's gone now?"

Twilight nodded. "He said that I was special to him. What do you think he meant?"

Applejack smiled. "Ah'm not sure sugarcube, but Ah am sure that we'll see him again someday. Maybe then, you will find out for yourself."

Twilight smiled at her friend and put a hoof around her.

"Come on, let's go see if there's still any cake left."

* * *

TD looked around him as he exited the portal. First thing he saw was that Ponyville had been changed back to normal, but he still wasn't sure if he had gone to the right timescale. He needed to make sure. He trotted over to where the Castle of Friendship stood. There it was, in all of its glory. And inside, he could sense...

TD's heart almost burst into tears of joy. It was her, and a second figure was inside; one who bore both her powers and his own. TD teleported into the castle and found himself inside a room that he knew could only exist if what he thought was true. Inside the room, sleeping in a small bed, was a small blue pegasus colt with green stripes. One of his wings was blue, the other green. His eyes opened slightly, revealing glowing draconic eyes that were the same color as his mother's. TD smiled and laid a kiss on his son's forehead, then teleported into a bedroom that was very familiar to him. For in here slept the love of his unnatural life.

Twilight had a peaceful expression on her face as TD stared at her. It had felt like an eternity since he had seen her like that, sleeping without a care in the world. She stirred and woke up. The first thing she saw was a familiar pair of draconic eyes staring at her through the still dim lightning of the room.

"William?" Twilight asked, wondering why her husband was staring at her with so much joy and relief.

She called me by my real name, TD thought to himself with joy.

"William? Are you okay?"

Suddenly, TD appeared next her in his human form and threw his arms around her. Tears were streaming down his face, but he was smiling as he spoke.

"I don't care if you don't understand, or if you remember anything I told you at your brother's wedding, or even what part I played in the invasion. I'm just so glad that you're back!"

Twilight was confused for a moment, but then TD's magic swept over her and she saw the cause for his emotions. She smiled and hugged him back, wings and all. One of his hands stroked her mane and she heard him whisper, "I missed you so much."

"I know," she whispered back, "I missed you too. And, I do remember one thing: what you did at the wedding, and what you said to me. But, I don't know why or how it happened. You weren't even in Equestria back then. So, how-?"

TD smiled and looked her in the eye. His eyes had turned draconic again, as all three of his personalities looked at her with love.

"Some things are best left unanswered, my little North Star."

Twilight smiled back and pulled him into a kiss, which he happily accepted. A surge of magic energy exited him and enveloped the two of them in a large aura as they kissed. TD felt like he was practically glowing with happiness. His family was safe again and he had saved those he had loved. No words could express the feelings within him, and no words were required. And even if he could, it didn't matter.

All that mattered was that he had his little North Star again.

* * *

 **Well, this was quite an accomplishment! I literally had to look up the episode for this past event to get a little reference, but it was worth it! Hope y'all enjoyed!**

 **Favorite, follow, review, and I'll see you all later! Peace!**


	25. Fragment Soul

**When you make a series, you intend to make it long most of the time. The fact that I have gotten this far is an accomplishment in and of itself! Am I that good? Probably not.**

 **ShadowBlitz009,** **thank you for the OC offer! Your character has now officially made an appearance! Feel free to give out more suggestions on story development or spread the word about this story to your friends.**

 **Hope ya'll enjoy!**

 **Edit: I accidentally messed up the gender of** ** _ShadowBlitz009_** **'s other OC, Kindred Spirit, in the original. This is my way of apologizing and fixing it. Also, added a little more to the reunion between them.**

* * *

Deep within the Everfree Forest, in a cave unknown to most, there was a single pool. It seemed like any normal pool, but it possessed a special ability. If one knew the rhyme to say or drank from its waters, it would create a clone of that individual. The clone would look and sound exactly like the real person, and probably even think that he was the real person too. By legend, it was called the Moon Pool. Once upon a time, Pinkamena Diana Pie, otherwise known as Pinkie Pie, had discovered this pool and used an old nursery rhyme her nanny had taught her to unlock the secrets of the Moon Pool and created an entire swarm of Pinkie Pies in the hopes of fixing some problems she had concerning her friends. It had turned out to be a disastrous choice to make. Thankfully, with the help of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the problem was soon solved and the clones were dispersed back into the Moon Pool, never to be seen again. The Moon Pool had not been used since.

The pool's surface looked smooth and clear, without a single ripple or splash. Then suddenly, a hoof rose from out of the pool and a pony crawled out. He was dark blue-green in color with navy blue and grey blue stripes for his mane and tail. His eyes were grey in color and his expression was blank. His Cutie Mark was black in color, showing off two figures standing side by side, with one of them having a plus sign on him. The pony looked around the cave and a hurt, yet angered expression formed on his face.

"They will pay," the pony said in anger, "They will pay for what they did to us."

* * *

TD enjoyed at least one thing about waking up in the middle of the night, and that was getting to look down at Twilight's sleeping form. It always put his mind at ease seeing her peaceful smile on her face while she slept. Besides, she was so cute- no, beautiful- when she was asleep. Tonight, he had turned back into his Changeling form, which may have explained the dream he had about constantly switching into the person he spoke to. TD shrugged and got down from the bed. As much as he wanted to stay with Twilight, he had an important project to work on tonight while the moon was still out. TD quietly teleported into a room that he rarely allowed access to: a lab where he conducted most of his experiments, especially alchemy. But to his surprise, someone was already in there, and his purple glowing eyes were more than enough to tell TD who it was.

"Zach, what are you doing up?" TD asked, "And why are messing with the cauldron?"

"I couldn't sleep," Zach said, his eyes showing no lie, "I heard something calling me down here, so I followed it to the end. Did you know that you used too much of the dragon bones in your potion?"

"Huh? Which one?" TD asked, taking a sudden interest in his son's speech.

"The one which requires moonlight," Zach replied, adding a few roots from some plant to the cauldron. He then spread his wings and they started to glow. A hatch opened up from the ceiling and moonlight shone over the cauldron. The cauldron bubbled vigorously and a cloud on the shape of a tree popped up from it. Zach filled a vial with the liquid and corked it up. He then turned to see TD with an astonished expression.

"Zach, I worked for years on that spell," he said. He was beaming a proud look at his son. "Yet you fixed it in a day. I'm proud of you! But I think you'll be even more proud to find that you've earned something special too."

TD smiled and nodded towards Zach's flank. Zach looked and almost screamed for joy. He had just gotten his Cutie Mark. TD chuckled at his son's reaction, then said, "Well, you'd better get back to bed, you little rascal. Why don't you show your mother come tomorrow? I'm sure that she'll be just as proud. Good job!"

Zach gave his dad a quick hug, then teleported away, presumably to his room. TD smiled in admiration as he teleported himself back to his own room. Zach was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him. And to think that once upon a time, Zach's mother was once one of his enemies. TD sighed with content as he climbed back into bed beside Twilight.

Life could be confusing to say the least.

* * *

The pony trotted out of the cave the following morning, looking around for the first pony to exact his revenge upon. He didn't expect to find very many in the Everfree Forest, but he was content to find just one pony if he could. Off in the distance, he could hear a child humming a song. Getting closer, he saw a young pegasus, probably no older than four or five years old, picking some Zap Apples he had found nearby. The pegasus was blue with green stripes, with one blue wing and one green wing. Despite his young age, he seemed to be able to fly perfectly fine, and even proved this to be true when he flew up to a branch higher up to pick a particular Zap Apple. The pony smiled to himself.

His first victim.

The pony rushed over to the young pegasus and quickly grappled him into a strong grip, with the intention of strangling him to death. However, to his surprise, an unseen force suddenly released his grip and flung him several feet away from the pegasus. The pegasus turned to him as he stood up, and the pony gasped in surprise. The pegasus's eyes were purple in color, but instead of pony eyes, they were draconic eyes. In the shadows of the forest canopy, they glowed softly in a gentle manner. Zach (for that's who it was) looked at the pony and said gently, "Why did you do that? I could've killed you, ya know?"

The pony didn't answer, but simply charged again. Zach simply stared him down and his wings glowed for a second. The pony suddenly tripped and fell over nothing. Zach again tried to talk to him.

"Look pal, I don't want to fight you, and I can sense that you are misguided in your hatred. You can still leave now and we can forget that this ever happened."

The pony snorted in anger.

"And what makes you think that we'll listen to a child?" he said, referring to himself in a plural tense. "You ponies led us to our death, so now you will pay! Surrender now, for you stand against Fragment Soul, the Pony of the Moon Pool!"

Zach watched in surprise as several clones of the pony suddenly appeared next to him. Still, he stood his ground.

"Very well. Don't say that I didn't warn you."

Zach closed his eyes as Fragment Soul and his clones charged again. Just when they were right on top of Zach, the young pegasus opened his eyes and a massive shockwave of energy exited from his body, knocking them back. All but one of the figures disappeared when that happened. Zach then quickly used his magic to trap Fragment Soul in a magical chain. The pony struggled, but to no avail.

"You're cloning abilities are useless while that's on you," Zach said bluntly. "But I figure that won't hold you forever. I must warn my parents of your appearance."

With that, Zach disappeared in a cloud of blue and green feathers. Once he was gone, another clone of Fragment Soul walked over to his trapped self and broke the chains with a single strike of his hooves. Both clones then turned their eyes towards Ponyville.

"That young is strong," Fragment Soul said with a grudging hint of admiration, "but he too will soon pay. They can't possibly stand for long against the likes of us."

Thousands of clones appeared beside him and they slowly began to march in the direction of Ponyville.

* * *

TD could really seem hypocritical sometimes, especially when it came to weird things. Sure, he had seen some fairly odd couples, unlikely love stories, and even someone with a rather shady past that he never truly revealed fully. That being said, having Zach appear as a reflection on his spoon while eating breakfast was the last thing he had expected. TD literally caused Twilight to suddenly have gravity work in reverse for her when he freaked out upon seeing his son on his spoon. He apologized and set her down, then addressed his son.

"Zach, for future reference, don't do that again."

"Sorry Dad, but we've got trouble. An earth pony is headed this way with the intention of taking us all down."

"So, the problem is...?"

"Dad, he can clone himself into an army!"

"Oh...that _is_ bad. Alright, get everyone ready. I'll handle this."

"Wait, Dad. Before you try anything, could you at least try to negotiate with him first? I think that he's just...misguided."

"What if I say no?"

"Then I'll _make_ you negotiate, or at least not kill him," Twilight replied, deciding to intervene finally. TD groaned slightly when he heard her say this.

"Darn it, Twi. You're no fun sometimes."

TD made his cereal bowl and spoon disappear with a "poof" and then transformed his image to look like Elmer Fudd, complete with the gun.

"Be vewy vewy quiet!" he said, "I'm huntin' wabbits. Huh huh huh!"

He then returned to normal, cut a hole in the floor around Twilight, then waited as all of the floor save where he had cut it fell away, taking him with it. Twilight sighed when he left and waited patiently for the floor to reset. Sometimes she honestly wondered what it was that made TD act like that on purpose. Still...Twilight let out a chuckle. That was _exactly_ one of the reasons why she had fallen in love with him.

No matter what, he always seemed able to turn things around, usually for the better.

* * *

TD heard the army coming long before it even got to the edge of the Everfree Forest. After all, a thousand ponies running at once sounded very much like a stampede. TD almost felt like he was reacting a scene from _The Lion King_ video game he used to play as a kid.

"Calm down TD," he scolded himself, "it's just an army of ponies made from the same guy. You've faced worst."

Yet, the fear still lingered within him of this new foe. Fighting an enemy who could simply duplicate himself over and over again wasn't easy; he knew that from personal experience. TD sighed. Well, like it or not, he had to try.

"Villain number 19, coming up," he muttered to himself. "Or was it _one hundred and nineteen_? I've lost count."

It was then that the army of ponies appeared. TD finally felt legitimately sorry for the ponies who had to endure Pinkie Pie's involvement with the Mirror Pool. Because seeing the same pony duplicated over and over again was quite an eyesore. Seriously, the stallion could've at least worn a different hat or tie for each of them. Well, then again, TD had tried the same trick before meeting Twilight. Sure, it usually meant a cheap victory, but it could be handy at times. TD sighed and raised one of his hooves in a "stop" gesture; he had decided for no particular reason to start off as a pony. Why, even he wasn't entirely sure. The clones, thankfully, obliged to his gesture, though not out of thoughtfulness.

"Stay out of our way," the clones said as one, "or you too will be swarmed by our horde."

"I'm sorry, but you're threatening my friends through your actions. So, no."

"We will not be ignored," one of the clones said, still referring to himself in the plural form.

"Why are you even trying to attack them?" TD asked. "What have they ever done to you?"

"We were lured to our death," Fragment Soul replied angrily. "The ponies are cruel and selfish, so we will teach them true pain."

"You'll have to get past me first," TD said with a smirk. The clones just laughed.

"And what can you do to stop us?"

"You'd be surprised," TD said as his horn glowed. The clones took this as an opportunity to charge him all at once. However, to their surprise, TD's blast struck all of them simultaneously, leaving only one of them still standing. The rest had disappeared when destroyed, leaving no trace of them to be found.

"So you're _that_ kind of cloning person," TD said aloud, "Having your conscience split amongst your clones, so technically each of them is the real you. Good choice!"

"Don't mock us!" Fragment shouted as he summoned more clones to attack. TD swept them all aside yet again.

"That wasn't mockery. That was a legitimate compliment!"

"Are you trying to mess with me?!"

"I want you to feel like you're doing well," TD explained, blasting a few more clones. "I'd hate to kill you while you're embarrassed, but not while you're humiliated. Call me a jerk."

Seeing that his current methods of attacking TD were ineffective, Fragment tried a different tactic. While TD was distracted with some clones from the front, he sneaked around behind him and tried to overwhelm him with more clones. Unfortunately for him, TD had (more or less) expected such a move from him and quickly turned to counter the onslaught. However, during this, one of the clones managed to make contact with TD, letting him see into the mind of the pony he faced. He saw memories that even the pony in question had forgotten.

TD saw that the stallion had gone into the Everfree on a dare set up by a group of other children. During the time he was in the forest, he got lost and took shelter in the Cave of the Moon Pool. By chance, he fell asleep and tumbled into the pool, drowning himself. Now, all he could remember were his friends coaxing him into the forest. The poor soul! He really is misguided...

TD's mind came back to the present as Fragment's clones all started to swarm him at once from all directions. This time, due to TD's distraction from the memories, the Lord of Chaos was buried beneath the horde. Hooves smacked into him from all sides as other clones held him down, making him thankful that he had gone with his current form. TD's horn glowed and all the clones disappeared yet again.

"Time to switch gears," TD said to himself.

Fragment Soul created yet another army of clones and charged TD again, pure fury and revenge in his eyes. TD made another shockwave appear and eliminated all but one of the clones. The puppeteer had been revealed. Acting quickly, TD rushed over to Fragment and used his magic to pin the earth pony to the ground, simultaneously using another spell to temporarily disable his cloning powers. Fragment struggled, but to no avail. TD's image changed back to his human form, a look without triumph on his face.

"Fragment Soul, listen to me," TD said, pouring some of his persuasion powers into his voice, "I can sense your past. You're hurting inside because of a memory which you have held onto, even in death. You have misguided yourself into believing that ponies were responsible for your death. This is not who you truly are. Let me help you, like someone else once did for me."

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" Fragment shouted. He tried to get up and attack again, but to no avail.

"I know what it feels to want revenge on someone, but it never helps. Especially if you're misguided in your revenge."

"Misguided?! We were tricked into that forest! They led us to our death! They deserve to die!"

"Tricked? No, you went in willingly. They may have talked you into entering Everfree, but they never intended for you to die. Your death was an unforeseen consequence for your actions. Your friends never wanted you to die."

Fragment Soul seemed to ponder this for a moment, then asked, ""How do we know that you're not tricking us?"

"Maybe this will speak more clearly than words," TD said as he placed one of his hands on the pony's head. Fragment's eyes turned white for a moment, then TD took his hand off of him. Fragment's eyes stayed white, as his memories returned. He saw the truth of his own death, and the misguided thoughts that he had given himself with what little memory he had previously possessed. Fragment Soul's eyes returned to normal and TD's magic stopped pinning him to the ground. Fragment stood up and some clones appeared near him. But instead of charging, he stood there with a saddened look on his face. He then caused the clones to disappear and he hung his head with tears in his eyes.

"We- we're sorry," Fragment said, "We didn't realize the truth. We thought that-"

"I know," TD replied gently, putting a hand on the pony's shoulder. "And from my own experience, I'm willing to bet that they'll forgive you too."

Fragment Soul looked up at TD with a thankful expression. He then said, "We know that we may have asked a lot from you unintentionally, but we don't remember anypony familiar here. Could you introduce us to them?"

TD smiled.

"It would be my pleasure."

* * *

Fragment Soul was soon introduced to the entire gang and the entire situation had been fully explained to them all.

"You were reborn from the Moon Pool?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Cool! I once went to the Moon Pool and created a bunch of Pinkie clones, but then they went out of control, and then Twilight had to stop them, but then they couldn't find the real me, so they had to do a special test, and then-"

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's mouth was zipped shut and she glared at TD, who simply laughed and said, "I didn't do that."

"Sorry Aunt Pinkie Pie," Zach said with an innocent looking smile, "but you were starting to weird him out a little too much."

"Glad to see that I'm not the only one who thinks that," TD said with a chuckle. Twilight glared at TD, then smiled and shook her head. She then turned to Fragment Soul.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you Fragment Soul," she said sincerely, "but I'm also glad to see that you realized your mistake in time. If you're willing, you are welcome to stay here in Ponyville and start your life anew."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Fragment replied with a bow. "We are grateful for your offer."

"Please, just call me Twilight."

"Thank you, Twilight."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Applejack inquired.

"We are not sure," Fragment replied, "but we feel like we'd first like to know what has become of our friends after all these years. We also need to apologize to them."

"Well, um, I hope that you find what you're looking for," Fluttershy said kindly.

Just then, a group of ponies, about four of them, two mares and two stallions, walked past them and stopped when they saw Fragment Soul. They took a look at him and let out a gasp. TD turned to the ponies in question. TD recognized one of them to be Daisy, but he was unfamiliar with the other three. They stared at Fragment Soul, who was staring back in the same amount of disbelief.

"Fragment Soul?" one of the mares finally said. She was a pegasus and she seemed to be the most impacted of the group.

"Yes," the pony in question answered.

"It's really you?" Daisy asked.

Fragment Soul nodded.

"We thought that you were dead," one of the stallions said. He was a unicorn.

"We were dead," Fragment replied, "but we have been reborn from the Moon Pool where we drowned."

The ponies were surprised, but oddly enough didn't question why he referred to himself in the plural tense. TD assumed that he must've spoken like that even before the Moon Pool incident. Still, he was interested in the possible outcome of this meeting.

"We...thought that we had been lured to our death by the ones who talked us into entering the Everfree Forest," Fragment continued. "We had no memories save that of them teasing us into complying. As a result, we wanted...revenge on all ponies. We were misguided, lost in our shortsightedness. We see now that we were wrong. We...only hope that you can forgive us..."

Fragment Soul closed his eyes and waited. Waited for them to say something, anything. He didn't expect much from them, but he didn't want to be left in suspense either.

Finally, after a few minutes, he felt something touch the bottom of his chin and lift it up a bit. Opening his eyes, he saw the pegasus mare looking at him with tears in her eyes, but a smile was on her face. She threw her front hooves around him in a loving embrace.

"I missed you," she said tearfully. Fragment Soul was surprised, but only for a moment. He smiled and hugged the mare back.

"We missed you too, Kindred Spirit."

The rest of the group joined the group hug while TD watched. He felt a smile creep over his face and he let out a content sigh. Another happy ending, he said to himself.

Only who-knows-how-many more left to go.

* * *

 **Whew! This took way too long to publish! I wanted to publish this sooner, but the services experienced some technical difficulties on the day that I wanted to publish this and were offline long enough for me to be unable to access the internet and post this. But, it's up now!**

 **Fragment Soul and Kindred Spirit are OC's that belong to _ShadowBlitz009_.**

 **Just a heads up: The OC offer from Chapters 1-3 (prologue doesn't count) is still up and running, and will continue to stay up for now. Feel free to offer up your own OC's to use in this series or some conflict ideas, and I might even ask you to help in story writing with me!**

 **Review, follow, favorite, whichever you feel like doing, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! Peace out, fans!**


	26. The Warrior of Twilight

**This story making business can be difficult at times, especially if the services on this site temporarily shut down and all. But I keep moving on.**

 **This chapter involves another OC offered to me by** _The Warrior of Twilight_ **, who also helped out with some of the dialogue and scenes concerning Stardust Balance** **. Thanks for the help bro! Everyone else, check out his content if you haven't already. I have only seen a little bit myself, but it looks promising.**

 **OC offer from Chapters 1-3 (prologue doesn't count) is still up btw, and will continue to stay up for now. Feel free to offer up your own OC's to use in this series and I might even ask you to help in story writing with me!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chrysalis was furious. Yet another scheme had gone south, thanks to that upstart of a human. She couldn't understand how he had managed to foil her plans to destroy Twilight long before the two had met, but it made her even more furious to know that even in the past, he was always there. Was there nothing that he couldn't do? Chrysalis decided not to answer that question. She hissed in anger and picked up the scroll she possessed.

"One more try," she told herself, "One more attempt at destroying them all for good."

Chrysalis opened the scroll and began the spell.

* * *

TD sat up in bed, not even surprised to find himself in his pony form when he awoke. It had happened again. Another vision of the future, another warning towards a threat to both Equestria and his family. TD rubbed his eyes and held his head for a moment. These visions he kept receiving in the middle of the night were starting to worry him a little. Each one warned of a small conflict, a fight which he would get into, or even saving the ponies he loved. They all seemed to point to a much bigger picture, but what? TD groaned. He never had been very good a puzzles back on Earth, and his magic could only help him out so much. This was much to ponder over, but it would have to wait for another time. There was too much to take care of in the present for the time being...

TD heard Twilight stir in her sleep and only just now noticed his snake-like tail wrapped lovingly around her as her eyes opened. For him, her form could be seen perfectly in the darkness of the room, but Twilight only saw his eyes shining in the dark. TD was inwardly happy to have her awake this time around, though whether or not she could see that in his eyes was unclear. In fact, TD often marveled at the alicorn's behavior when she looked him in the eye. While most ponies only ever saw the darkness and evil that his eyes gave off, Twilight was among the selected few who saw the true expressions they hid inside. Yeah, she was quite a wonder in and of herself.

"William, is everything okay?" Twilight whispered to TD. If she noticed his tail around her, she didn't say anything about it yet.

"Another vision," TD said bluntly. "They just keep coming. They're trying to warn me of a much bigger picture, but what it is I don't know yet. It's honestly starting to make me worried Twi. If visions like that keep coming at regular intervals, it usually means that something is wrong." TD sighed. "This is around the time where I wish that I had your way of thinking."

Twilight smiled and said teasingly, "You could always use a spell to fix that-"

"Not happening. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not a total brain case either. I have seen where that leads to, and it never ends well."

Twilight giggled a little. She then looked to his tail around her form. TD gave a sheepish smile.

"You finally noticed?" he asked, not unkindly.

"I have actually known for quite some time now," Twilight answered. "I'll admit, it was a little shocking at first, but it's been growing on me."

"Heh. I honestly didn't know that I had been doing that myself until that time involving Phantom and Celestia. You...don't mind it, do you?"

"Not at all," Twilight said reassuringly. "It's actually kind of nice. Feels...smooth and oddly comforting."

"Wow, never thought I'd hear that."

The alicorn shared a laugh with the human, then pulled him closer to her. She nuzzled up against him, earning the purr-like growl from his darker personality. TD returned the nuzzling, still keeping his pony form when he did. His tail shifted around her a little, allowing her to spread her wings out fully and join in the embrace. TD sighed in content as he looked at his wife lovingly.

"I know that I've asked it before, but I'll say it again anyways: what did I ever do during all those years of being the villain to deserve you?"

Twilight smiled and repeated the same answer: "I guess that at one point, you must've done something good."

"Sounds just about right."

TD pulled Twilight into a kiss, which she accepted without hesitation. The growl continued to come from TD as they kissed, making it almost sound like TD was some kind of large beast. Metaphorically, however, TD would probably describe their relationship as such: Beauty and the Beast all over again. It didn't really take much brain power to figure out who played what role. The two laid back down on their bed, pulling away from the kiss to lock eyes again. TD's hoof moved up and brushed a small part of Twilight's mane away from her face. Her eyes seemed to sparkle in what little lighting there was, somehow making her look so much more beautiful in TD's eyes.

"Twilight Sparkle, my little North Star," he whispered as if in a happy daydream.

"William, my Prince of Chaos," she whispered back in the same tone.

"Prince?" TD stopped and pondered it for a moment. "That's a new one." He smiled and gave her another kiss. "I like it."

The two remained in their embrace as they slowly drifted back to sleep, enjoying this moment with each other for as long as possible.

* * *

The earth pony stallion limped through the Everfree Forest, trying to find some shelter so he could recover. He was golden with a brown mane and tail, and he wore a dark blue cape over his shoulders. His Cutie Mark was a dark blue heart with a light blue star at its center. The pony winced in pain as he limped along. One of his front hooves was held up above the ground, causing him to hobble along on three legs. His mane and fur were torn and dirty looking; in truth, he seemed to have just exited from a battle. In the distance, a Timber Wolf howled. The pony stopped and waited. Up ahead, he could hear movement, possibly from the same Timber Wolf. He winced again as he stood ready. He was in no condition to fight, but fight he would if it came to that. Well, true to what was expected, a Timber Wolf appeared. The pony groaned and got ready for a fight he would most likely die from. The Timber Wolf stared at the pony, then suddenly acted very strange. He cocked his head to the side and made a small whine. The pony seemed rather confused at this action. The pony, hopelessly dazed and vision still clouded with uncertainty and disorientation, blinked in furrowed puzzlement at the seemingly placate behavior of the monstrosity, intensely regarding the beast aside from the growing confusion welling in his unfocused brain. The Timber Wolf stepped closer, clearly trying not to seem hostile. He made another whine and one paw pointed at the pony's wounded leg. His body tensed, the young gold stallion had his teeth clenched and hazel eyes blazing against the approaching wooden mutt. The wolf's gesture to his damaged limb further provoked that anxiety, getting a suspicion it knew of his current weakness, and would seek to strike at that spot once his guard was down. Although, the equine was not entirely sure his guard will last so long. The Timber Wolf made a noise in it's throat that sounded close to an annoyed sigh and started pawing at the ground, making some marks in the ground. He then lifted his head and looked to the pony, gesturing towards the marks. Flinching in apprehensive suspicion, the hurt pony gave the Timber Wolf a long, withering look of complete wariness, slowly glancing down at said markings and inciting the furrowed confusion. The markings were actually letters that made some words. The sentence made said, _Not enemy. Want to help you_. The pony stared at them, then finally gave in and fell over in exhaustion. Before he hit the ground, the Timber Wolf caught him with a large paw. Gently, he picked up the pony and set him on his back, then turned towards Ponyville. He knew that there, he would find help.

 **Later...**

Naturally, even at this late at night, it didn't take long for the alarm to be raised that there was a Timber Wolf up and about. Ironically, this was exactly what the Timber Wolf wanted, as he knew who would most likely rush to the defense of the ponies. The Timber Wolf soon found himself facing a familiar face: a young pegasus colt, about five years of age, with glowing draconic eyes. Zach had been at a sleepover with some friends of his at Pinkie Pie's house, but as soon as he heard the news he teleported outside to face the creature. However, when he saw the Timber Wolf, he lowered his guard.

"Plank?" he asked, hoping that his guess was true.

"It's me," a voice replied in the colt's head, at the same time the Timber Wolf wagged his tail and made a friendly bark. Zach was so excited, he rushed over to Plank and hugged him, much to the surprise of the ponies nearby who had come to watch the outcome. One of Plank's paws gently encircled the young pegasus and hugged him back.

"It's good to see you again," Zach said, nuzzling his head gently against the thorny skin of the Timber Wolf. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to affect him at all. He then pulled away and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help," Plank said with a whine. He gently lowered the golden pony to the ground and Zach let out a gasp. By now, Twilight and TD had joined him, along with Pinkie Pie, Chuck, and even Fragment Soul and Kindred Spirit. TD was in his pony form and Pinkie Pie noticeably not in disguise, but she seemed concerned nonetheless. TD turned to her.

"Pinkie Pie," he asked, "how is he?"

Pinkie Pie stared at the pony, then said, "His emotion levels are weak, which must mean that he's close to death."

TD didn't waste a minute. He turned to the crowd behind him and shouted, "Someone wake the Doc! This stallion needs immediate medical attention!"

The ponies obeyed without question and galloped off in various directions. TD turned back to the stallion and gently lifted him into the air and started off towards the hospital.

"You're not dying on me," he muttered to the stallion.

"Hang in there..."

* * *

"How is he, Doctor?" the pony heard a female voice ask as his consciousness returned. The voice sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't quite remember right now.

"He's suffered from many wounds, but he'll make it," a male's voice replied.

"I hope so," a child's voice mentioned next, "He's lucky that Plank found him before anything else could."

"Is everything alright, William?" the female voice asked, "You seem lost in thought."

"The energy he's giving off," a second male's voice said, "It's Equestrian magic, but not from this universe. And there's something else too. I think- I think he's a human like me."

"What?" the female said in surprise.

The pony began to wake up, groaning as he did. He opened his eyes and saw something rather odd. In front of him stood four figures, but he only recognized one of them; the lavender colored alicorn who stood beside one of the figures rather closely. The other three were unfamiliar to him. The first figure was an earth pony in a doctor's uniform, which he guessed was the first male voice; the second was a pegasus colt around five years old, with blue and green striped fur, a red mane and tail, and purple eyes that seemed draconic in shape. But the third figure was quite a shocker to see. It was a human, around eighteen years old, with a reddish brown beard, brown hair, and blue eyes that looked to him with concern. His skin was white, but seemed a little bit red in some areas. The pony was still trying to figure things out, and this sight wasn't helping.

TD noticed the confused state of the pony stallion and said kindly, "I know what you're thinking. Human in Equestria. Yeah, it's a bit shocking at first. Don't try to take it all in at once."

"Huh?" the pony turned to Twilight. "Twilight?"

"Yes?" Twilight replied.

"Wh-where am I? How are you here? I thought that you'd be captured."

"Captured?" Twilight was confused.

"Don't you remember? Wait..."

The pony suddenly straightened and backed away.

"What have you done to her?" he asked in an angered fashion.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked.

"Oh dear," TD said aloud. "Please tell me that this doesn't involve who I think it does."

"What is going on?!" the pony demanded.

"Sir, I need to ask you to take it easy, " the doctor said as gently as he could. "You've suffered from many wounds. You need rest-"

"[Beep] that!" the pony shouted, catching everyone by surprise. A censoring spell, TD thought to himself. Where have I heard of that before?

"I want to see Twilight!" the pony continued, "The _real_ Twilight! You can't trick me so easily, you little-!"

"CALM DOWN," TD's voice thundered, as he used one of his command spells. Thankfully, the spell worked, though it was clear that the pony was confused as to why he had complied.

"I tried to do this slower," TD said aloud, "but it looks like that's no longer an option. You are in a different universe. Still Equestria, but different universe."

"What? But, that's impossible...isn't it?"

"Buddy, you're talking to a guy who has literally performed the impossible, and traveling to alternate universes is not something I'd put in that category."

The pony brought a hoof to his head and groaned.

"Well that would certainly explain why that Timber Wolf didn't try to attack me. Are all of them like that here?"

"Who? Plank? No, he's the only one last I checked. You're lucky that it was him you bumped into. In your condition at the time, I doubt that you would've been able to fight back."

"Oh really? Are you sure that I wasn't faking?" the pony said sarcastically.

"Normally, I'd ask why you'd be that way towards me, but I think that you've been through enough already, so I won't bother. Uh, I know that this is probably a bit late to say this, but I think it's time I told you my name."

TD held out his hand in a friendly gesture. "The name's TD. Short for the Terror of Dimensions. I'm a reformed villain, more or less. That pegasus colt is my son, Zachary, or Zach, and I believe that even though this is a different universe, you already know my wife, Twilight."

"I do," the pony said, accepting the handshake. He then suddenly seemed to register what TD said and looked to him in surprise.

"Your wife?" he asked.

"Guilty," Twilight said with a sheepish smile.

"Now I definitely can believe that I'm in a different universe," the pony said, "because she's not even married back in my universe."

"On that note, what's your name?" TD asked. "It may help me know a little more information that can help us in the future. Trust me, I get involved in situations similar to this more often than you'd think."

"Star-..." The pony coughed, then tried again, "My name's Stardust Balance."

TD acted as if he had been smacked in the face when he heard the pony's name. He then smiled and said, "Well, I've seen some of your stories on the Fanfic site, but I never thought that I'd live to see you in person, Stardust Balance. Or should I call you by your real name, Jack Wright?"

"Just Stardust. So you're one of those Fourth Wall breakers?"

"More or less. So, why don't we try and start you off on the right foot again? Obviously, someone or something has brought you here, but we need to figure out why."

"Can I rest first?" Stardust asked, "I've had a rough time, in case it wasn't obvious."

"You'd better," the doctor piped up, "because I'm not letting you leave here until you have fully recovered."

"We'll be waiting at the Castle of Friendship for you, Stardust," Twilight said with a smile. She then asked, "You do know where that is, right?"

"I should. Why, did something happen to it?"

"Not unless you count a few extra rooms and such that I installed," TD replied.

"Oh great," Stardust said aloud, "Not only is he a human, but he's also a human who feels like he can ruin the show whenever he feels like it."

"Actually, there's a reason why it's called an alternate universe. It allows me to get away with that kind of stuff. Oh, just a heads up: the Season 6 and Season 7 finales have already come and gone here, so expect a lot of differences in those regards. Toodles!"

TD snapped his fingers and he, Twilight, and Zach disappeared in a flash of light. Stardust groaned.

"Yep. I'm [Beep]."

* * *

Stardust woke up with a start. He knew immediately that something was wrong, considering that he had fallen asleep at the boutique and woke up in the middle of the Everfree Forest. He stood up and looked around him to gather his bearings. A loud buzzing sound was heard overhead, one which he was all too familiar with. He had heard it back at the Canterlot wedding for Shining Armour and Cadence. Changelings. And from the sound of it, a swarm.

A shiny black object suddenly dropped in front of him from above at full speed, revealing a Changeling with battle armour on. Another one dropped, then another, and soon thousands of them were dropping around or towards him. Stardust grabbed the nearest one to him and chucked him into a group of the other Changelings. He then began a desperate fight to the death against them. It wasn't easy, as the Changelings often attacked from all sides at once or tried confusing him with the forms of other ponies that he knew. Still, he soon managed to create a wide circle around himself as the remaining Changelings backed off. Stardust glared at the crowd.

"Who's next?" he challenged. The Changelings laughed and stepped aside as their all-too familiar monarch stepped forward. Chrysalis smiled and started circling the daring warrior.

"I see that you've been keeping your strength Stardust," she said with an amused tone in her voice.

"And I see that you still badly need a makeover," Stardust said sarcastically. Chrysalis laughed and changed her form into a familiar white unicorn.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the fake Rarity said with a smirk, "Perhaps you prefer a more regal look?"

Stardust simply glared at her some more. "Well," he said, "what are you waiting for? Kill me or capture me, but don't waste my time with your games."

"Rarity" changed back into Chrysalis, who said with a sudden look of triumph, "My dear Jack, who said that this was a game?"

Stardust heard another figure drop behind him and he quickly turned to see who it was. To his surprise, a second Chrysalis stood before him, horn charged and ready to lay a killing blow.

"What?" Stardust was confused. "What is this?!"

"Oh, if only you weren't so naive boy," the second Chrysalis said with a smile. "There are forces at work that go beyond your comprehension! Allow me to show you a small taste of what I mean..."

She fired a blast at him, which he quickly deflected with one of his hooves. However, when he did, a sudden pain went through his hoof and he let out a cry of pain. His hoof went limp and he looked to her with surprise. That energy she had used, it was similar to the real Chrysalis's energy, but there was something about it that was different. It was far more potent and beyond what she should normally have. He braced himself as another burst struck him in the chest, and he was sent flying over the horde of Changelings. Stardust groaned and lifted himself to his feet. Blood was oozing slightly out of a wound in his side. He struggled to rise, almost collapsing from the pain as he stood back up. He weighed his options. After those blasts, it was clear that he was in no condition to fight, completely at the mercy of the Changelings. He could try talking his way out, but knowing Chrysalis that wouldn't work. No, his only option was to flee. He pulled out his emergency trump card: a small clear orb that Celestia had given him a few months ago. She had explained to him how it worked before sending him off.

 _This is a relic of ancient power. I have kept it hidden away for many years with the idea of using it in Equestria's darkest hour. I wanted to use it when Storm King attacked, but...well, you know how that turned out. I believe that you will have more use of it than I will. Whenever you are in dire need, you must only chant this verse.  
_

 _Celestia whispered something to Stardust, then sent him on his way after giving him a warm smile._

"For once, Celestia, I hope that your advice is actually useful," Stardust muttered to himself. Chrysalis and her doppelganger laughed and advanced towards him, their horns glowing dangerously as they came forward.

"Once we're finished with you," they said together, "then we will enslave all whom you hold dear! Then, we will keep you alive just long enough to watch your precious friends die off one-by-one. You have lost, Jack."

The two monarchs charged up a beam together by placing their across each other. Stardust quickly pulled out the the orb and shouted the verse:

 _Guardian of Old, I call for aid!_

 _Let Darkness fall and give way to Light!_

The orb glowed and enveloped him with light, making the queens stop their spell and close their eyes. When they opened them again, Stardust Balance was gone.

 **Present...**

"When I could see again, I was still in the Everfree, but the Changelings were all gone and it was dark outside. I started to head to Ponyville, but then I ran into your Timber Wolf friend. He brought me here when I passed out, and I assume that you know the rest."

"A Guardian Summoner," TD murmured. "Where did Celestia get her hooves on one of those?"

"You know this thing?" Stardust asked, pulling out the orb. It looked like it was made of glass, but it no longer was clear. Inside of it, everyone could see that a bright light was shining in one half of it, but total darkness was inside the other half. TD looked more closely at the orb, then shook his head in disbelief.

"This Orb," he explained, "is a very old and ancient relic of power, older than Equestria or every other world that I have ever traveled to. This was made by the Guardians of Existence, ancient beings who protected all universes and worlds from harm. They created these orbs and distributed them randomly throughout all the universes and worlds in existence, in the hopes that it would be found and used in that world's darkest hour. How your Celestia managed to find one is beyond me. But she didn't find just any Orb...she found _my_ Orb."

"What? Are you saying that _you're_ a Guardian of Existence?"

"I was granted the power of one of them, if that counts. My power is the power of Chaos, and my symbol is what is shown in this orb: darkness and light balanced within the same space. Each one keeping the other in check."

"But, it didn't summon you," Stardust stated in confusion. "Instead, it sent me here."

"That's because that is not its specific use. You called for aid, and it is giving you aid. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will summon me to your side. No, the spell to do _that_ is too...destructive to use safely."

"I see," Stardust said with a nod. Twilight and Zach were standing nearby and listening to their conversation with interest.

"So, you said that there were two Chrysalises, one more powerful than the other?" TD asked, getting back to the task at hand.

"Yes, it seems this one was far more stronger than I anticipated. But then again, I never faced her before and my mind is still confused as all Hell, so I may have no idea what I'm talking about." Stardust just shrugged.

TD suddenly clenched the table in anger. The room darkened and a threatening force could be felt in the air.

"I figured that she'd show up sooner or later. That two-faced, hybrid, snake tounged, disease ridden parasite! I should track her down to the edges of this world and CRUSH HER!"

Twilight placed a hoof on his shoulder and the lighting returned to normal.

"I- I- I shouldn't be so quick to anger. My apologies."

Stardust stiffened at the gesture of raw anger, but shrugged again with meaning glinting in those hazel orbs. "Normally I wouldn't expect so much fury from an Equestrian, but in this case I agree; she must be dealt with before anything worsens."

"Well to be fair, I'm not an Equestrian. And neither are you. That should explain some details."

"William," Twilight said gently, "Don't do something you'll regret. Please."

TD closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"I'll try, Twi."

Stardust watched the exchange with curious indifference, but then moved on. "Regardless, we should think up a plan to send me back before Chrysalis attempts anything. God knows what amount of damage she'll cause in my Equestria."

Twilight gave TD a look, and TD smiled. He stood to his full height.

"Well, I can get us there right now, actually," he said with a mischievous look in his eyes, "One of my many talents is jumping to different worlds in a snap, sometimes literally. I was called the Terror of Dimensions for a reason, dimensions hopping being one of them."

Stardust's eyes widened and he said almost frantically, "Then you need to send me back, now!"

"Patience. I will do that, but I'm coming with you. It's about time that I settled this problem with Chrysalis- _my_ Chrysalis- once and for all. I'd also like to know where she got such power."

Stardust regarded TD with a slight hint of suspicion in his eyes, something that TD found completely understandable, considering who he was and what he was capable of. After a count of three, Stardust finally relented. "Alright. You can come."

"Good choice!" TD said with a smile, wisely deciding not to mention that Stardust didn't really _have_ a a choice in the matter. Like it or not, he WOULD get to the bottom of this and he WOULD make Chrysalis pay one way or another.

"William," Twilight said gently, yet in a tone that made the human turn to her. She looked rather sad, an expression he didn't like to see on her face. "Be safe when you're over there."

TD smiled and got down on his knees, placing himself almost at the alicorn's level.

"I will. I promise," he said. Twilight threw her front hooves and her wings around him in a tender embrace, which the Lord of Chaos returned without hesitation. He then pulled away just enough to look her in the eye.

"I'll be back soon," TD said reassuringly.

"I know, but just in case..."

Twilight gave her husband a kiss, then pulled away from the hug as he rose from the floor. He then turned his attention to Zach, who was flying a few feet above the ground, just at TD's head level.

"Take care of the place while I'm gone, buddy," TD said with a smile.

"I will, Dad," Zach replied. He then flew over to TD and gave him a hug too. TD returned it, then looked to Stardust who had been watching with a rather neutral expression.

"Well, let's do this then."

TD walked over beside Stardust and said, "This may feel a bit weird, just so you know."

"Just do it," Stardust said, a hint of impatience in his voice. TD chuckled, then summoned a bowl of ashes in his hands. He took a handful of the ashes, threw them to the ground, and shouted, "Warrior of Twilight's Universe!" A burst of green flames enveloped them, making Zach and Twilight both cover their eyes. When they opened them again, the two humans were gone.

* * *

TD had expected something bad to be happening when he arrived in Stardust's version of Equestria, but Ponyville being turned into a massive hive was the last thing he had expected. Ponies were seen encased in cocoons, buildings were damaged, and swarms of the culprits were flying around in the sky above.

"Well, this complicates things," TD muttered aloud.

Stardust pursed his lips, features hardened and ready for battle. He turned and briskly asked if his associate remembered the plan.

"Plan?" TD said as if confused, but the gleam in his eyes said otherwise. "I thought we'd just wing it. No pun intended. However, if you must know, I do have one idea of how to take care of this."

"Funny." The corners of the Earth Pony's muzzle twitched slightly. "Winging it was my idea of a plan. Let's hear yours first then, though we shouldn't dwardle for too long."

"Alright, but you need to promise not to tell Twilight. She would freak out."

"Don't tell Twilight what?" Stardust raised a brow, keeping intense hazel orbs focused back on the state of the victimized town. "Go on."

"Don't tell her about this," TD said mysteriously as a swarm of Changelings appeared nearby. He stepped forward as if purposely begging for their attention. The swarm quickly spotted him and charged forward, but got more than what they bargained for. Tendrils of red lightning shot from TD's fingers and he howled in rage as each of the Changelings were practically roasted to a crisp. TD laughed in an evil fashion.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that!" he shouted, not even turning towards the Earth Pony behind him.

"STOP!" Stardust roared before he even comprehended the horrific scenario presented before his stricken eyes, immediately rushing to grab the deranged lunatic's arm and prevent anymore suffering. "What the [BEEP] are you doing man?! That's enough!"

"That parasitic bug took EVERYTHING from me!" TD replied dangerously. The sky turned dark, despite it being noon, and red lightning flashed across the sky as dark thunderclouds appeared from nowhere. TD continued.

"She killed my wife and child through her actions! If I hadn't gone back in time to stop her, they'd still be gone! I promised her that she would regret crossing paths with me again; consider this to be me fulfilling that promise!"

"By slaughtering the children for the sins of the mother?!" Stardust snarled, hazel eyes blazing a dangerous gold. "There is no excuse for your actions here! What would your deceased loved ones think, you deranged moron! Hell, what would TWILIGHT think?! You're being no better-" Stardust paused, inhaling deeply and staring the crazed man down stonily. "No, you're being WORSE than Chrysalis. End this. NOW."

TD seemed to struggle with himself inside, but before he could answer, a familiar laugh was heard and Chrysalis dropped to the ground in front of them along with a swarm of Changelings and a second Chrysalis. The two of them laughed again.

"What's the matter, human?" the one Chrysalis sneered at TD. "Still need your friends to keep you in check?"

"He's always been a little unstable," the second Chrysalis agreed. TD turned his gaze towards the second Chrysalis and his hands clenched tightly, glowing with power.

"Syphilis. Bronchitis." Stardust nodded to both Changelings as though they were old acquaintances, settling himself back on all fours with a weary disposition, standing between them and the other dangerous creature. "As if conquering one Equestria wasn't enough an ambition. How's life with patting yourself on the back?"

"Never better, until just now," the first Chrysalis remarked. She then turned to the Changelings who had been roasted alive and said with a small hint of sadness, "That was a little overkill, don't you think?"

"Oh you have seen NOTHING yet, my dear," TD replied, still keeping his eyes on the other Chrysalis.

Stardust sent a warning glance to TD, but maintained visual focus on both the adversaries. Three if things escalated to worse. "What's the plan this time ladies? Drain all love simultaneously from both worlds and rule in your own twisted version of harmony?"

"Oh that's just the appetizer," the second Chrysalis remarked. "The main course is having you two watch as all of those whom you love die right in front of you before being killed yourself. And it starts here with your death."

TD noticeably started trembling in anger when he heard this.

"If you harm a hair on their heads," he seethed, "I will make sure that your death is the most agonizing experience you'll ever feel in this life! And not even Twilight will hold me back for your sake. That's not a threat, that's a promise!"

Chrysalis just smirked. Clearly, this is exactly the reaction she wanted from TD. She was egging him on, toying with his emotions. This was her battleground, and she intended to win the fight. Stardust just flinched, saying nothing more. He'll deal with his reckless frie- Associate after the matter was dealt with.

"I think that we've stalled you long enough," the second Chrysalis said. She pulled out a scroll from behind her back and TD's eyes widened in surprise.

"Where's you get that?" he asked in an almost inaudible voice. Chrysalis just smiled.

"Time to meet your end, TD!"

She fired a blast from her horn that TD just barely managed to deflect in time. At the same time, the first Chrysalis and her Changeling army charged with the intent to kill or capture. With no time to ponder what TD's sudden apprehension sprung from, Stardust braced himself, eyes burning pure golden as his own fur coat once more, an aura of Balance fueling through his veins and emitting light from the end of his hoofs. The time for battle was now. Stardust smacked the first Changeling that came up to him before the Changeling even could defend himself. A few more came his way, but he easily swatted them aside too. A blast came from TD's direction and more than half of the Changeling swarm fell to the ground; unconscious or dead, it was unclear. Chrysalis- Stardust's Chrysalis- charged him with her horn down and he just managed to stop her horn with his hooves, the point just inches away from his chest.

"You and your friend have harmed my children in this world and the next for the last time!" she screeched. Her horn glowed as she continued, "Now, you will feel pain like you've never imagined!"

"Thanks, but I'll pass!" Stardust retaliated, managing to push her aside. He jumped out of the way as Chrysalis fired a blast at him. She fired a few more at him, but he deflected them off of his hooves, thankful that this time it didn't make his hooves go limp with pain. One of the deflected shots hit Chrysalis in the face and she screeched again, closing her eyes in the process. She started firing her horn off wildly, her eyes closed the entire time. Stardust guessed that she must have been blinded by the blast, so he decided to take advantage of the situation. Quickly and quietly, he sneaked behind her and, while she was firing a blast at where she though he had been, he smacked her in the back of the head. Hard. The Changeling monarch fell to the ground unconscious and Stardust turned to see if TD needed any help while fighting a few straggling Changelings. What he saw left him in awe, but it also was terrifying.

TD was floating several feet off the ground with the other Chrysalis doing the same. A storm was brewing above their heads and red lightning flashed across the sky. Both were surrounded by a magical aura. Chrysalis's was a sickly green color, just like her own magic, but TD's aura was the most startling: a combination of light and darkness. He snarled at Chrysalis as she fired another blast at him. He deflected it off of himself, but seemed to be tiring out fast. Chrysalis fired another blast at him, and this time the human was flung back down to the ground, his aura disappearing when he did. Chrysalis laughed and landed near her seemingly-defeated opponent.

"As I predicted," she scoffed, "I'm only sorry that my alternate self and her children were not strong enough to see this for themselves. No matter! Once I take care of your friend, then this world and my own will know true power and fear! And who knows? Maybe I'll even throw in _your_ world, William!"

Chrysalis laughed again and fired a blast at TD, too fast for Stardust to react. However, before it had even reached TD, a sudden burst of energy erupted from TD's body and completely vaporized her blast. TD stood up again, his eyes glowing in the still-low lighting as he rose. They had reverted into his draconic eyes, as all three personalities found a common ground to stand on. TD lifted his hands and the aura around Chrysalis disappeared.

"What in Equestria?!" Chrysalis was obviously confused as to what had happened, but there was another tone in her voice: fear. TD lifted his hands gain and the Changeling was suddenly lifted in the air by an unseen force. TD threw her to the ground, then pounced while she was still down. His hands glowed with energy and he started punching her hard, his hands giving off miniature explosions with every punch. His hands were moving so fast, it was hard to keep up with them, and he howled in rage as he continued his onslaught. He finally stopped, breathing heavily, Chrysalis now seemingly defeated. She groaned as TD lay back on the ground and a sigh of relief came from him.

"There," he panted, "Try threatening them now."

Stardust inhaled deeply, finially besting the last opponent with a swift kick and sending him skidding across the ground. His posture on two legs, Stardust kept both eyes closed to keep a calm disposition, idly glancing at the state of TD's Chrysalis with pitiful disdain. TD finally stood up again and looked to his Chrysalis.

"Now then, what to do with you...?"

Stardust's head immediately snapped towards the man.

"Don't even think about harming her any further," He ordered sternly, raising one hoof for emphasis. "Let's focus on the real situation at hand while they're down, and restore this town to normal, not to mention finding and getting the citizens safe."

"You can do that," TD said. "My business is with her." He seemed on the verge of snapping, but also on the edge of tears.

Stardust groaned and rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not letting anymore bloodshed happen." Storming over towards the two without hesitation and gripped the upset being's arm, reinforcing his tone. "Priorities. Twilight will agree with me."

"No, you don't understand!" TD shouted, his eyes glowing even more fiercely. "She went back in time, killed my family long before I had met them or before they were born, respectively! She has only ever been a thorn in my side and she deserves death! ONLY DEATH!" The red lightning above flashed brightly as TD huffed and puffed for a second.

"And yet," he continued in a softer tone, "that's why I hesitate to deal death to her, isn't it? For their sake, as well as my own..."

The lightning stopped thundering and the light around them got a little brighter. TD dropped to his knees and tears streamed down his face.

"Twilight's the only reason I stopped being the villain. She saw past what I portrayed and despite what everyone else may have thought, she knew there was still good in me that wanted out. Yet, she also knows of the darkness I have caused, what I can cause." He sniffed a bit. "Sometimes, I wonder why she is still with me, why she hasn't left me to own up to my consequences till the end of time..."

Honestly, Stardust had no idea either. This man was clearly dangerous and a threat to the balance of the multiverse, regardless of the circumstances which brought him to this point. But still, Stardust had to stay focused on the task a hand, not letting TD see his exasperated look and placing a stern golden hoof on his acquaintance's shoulder.

"Then prove her right, and don't let the death of your loved ones be in vain. Help me restore this town and rescue the people. We'll deal with these two afterwards."

TD looked to him and smiled.

"Alright."

TD started to walk away, but then stopped and looked to Chrysalis. With a snap of his fingers (if any of you have been reading from the beginning, you know he's not actually snapping his fingers), the Changeling monarch was tethered to the ground by some magical chains.

"In case you get any ideas," TD muttered. He then turned to the town and asked randomly, "Does anyone know where to find an exterminator? Things might get ugly."

Stardust's jaw clenched. "Let's resolve this WITHOUT any 'extermination,' shall we?" It sounded entirely more like a demand than recommendation. TD just laughed.

"I was joking, buddy! This is how we REALLY do it!"

TD clapped his hands together and a shockwave of energy rolled over the town, reversing the damage that had been done, and surprisingly not causing any additional harm in the process.

"This is what I do, yo!" TD shouted happily. "This is true magic in all its glory!"

Stardust blinked... And sighed. "Alright, that just leaves checking on the townspeople."

Just as he said that, a group of ponies appeared from the town, each looking rather horrible. Not too surprising, considering that they had been cocooned by the Changelings earlier. TD made an effort to restrain a cry of joy when he saw the Mane Six among the crowd. But his eyes soon fell on a particular pony that he sensed had a connection with Stardust.  
"Hey Stardust," he asked, "Is is just me, or was that Marble Pie? You know, the one who always goes 'Mhm' and never says much else?"

"Huh?" Stardust turned to the pony in question, and his eyes lit up. Marble Pie also seemed to notice him and she too seemed joyfully surprised.

"Marble!" Stardust called, rushing towards her. Marble came towards him as well, meeting him about halfway. They brought each other both into a big hug and TD could've sworn that there were tears streaming down Stardust's face.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, pulling away just enough to look her in the eye.

"Mhm!" she replied happily. TD couldn't resist breaking into a smile. So it's _that_ version of him, he thought to himself, I always though that the pair up between them was cute. TD then noticed the familiar faces of the Mane Six coming forward and he felt guilty inside. Even though the Twilight he saw wasn't his North Star back home, it still pained him inside to know that such a good creature could ever decide to be with him.

"I'm no better than the Changelings I've harmed today," he said to himself, "I don't deserve such a beauty in my life. Yet...she still is there for me. Why? Why does she have to be so caring and understanding?"

His train of thoughts were interrupted by the alternate version of the pony in question walking over to him. She had just gotten done talking to Stardust and had had everything explained to her.

"Thank you for coming to our aid, TD," she said to him kindly. "I won't lie when I say that you will be missed, even if this is a short exchange."

"It was nothing," TD shook it off. He then turned away towards the place where Chrysalis had been chained. As he expected, the Chrysalis from this universe and her Changelings had disappeared from the scene, but his Chrysalis still remained in her chains.

"I should get going," he said to the alternate Twilight, "I need to deal with this...fiend."

"Of course," she said with a nod. "Take care, TD."

TD smiled at her, then turned back to Chrysalis and walked over to her. Grabbing the scroll which lay upon the ground, he opened a portal and the two were sucked up back into their universe. Stardust only just turned back in time to see this occur, and a slight wave of worry and concern washed over him.

"He's a very dangerous person," he said aloud, "but he also seems to be in much pain inside. I don't know why his Twilight would stay with him, but for whatever reason I hope that she'll be okay with him."

* * *

"There!" TD exclaimed as he tore the scroll to bits. He had returned to Chrysalis's hidden lair deep in the wilderness beyond Equestria- his Equestria. The Changeling monarch could only watch in despair as the scroll pieces were scattered into the wind.

"Without the scroll's power, you can never use it to harm my friends or my family ever again! Now then, you're going to tell me how you came by the scroll, unless you prefer death?"

Chrysalis, battered and beaten as she was, still managed to let out a small laugh.

"I was given it by someone who claims to know you, TD," she said with venom in her voice, "I will not name him, for it would give away too much. However, I will say this: your family and everything you hold dear are doomed! You will all die, your worlds crumble, and the glorious revolution will begin! I only regret that I won't be able to watch them destroy you myself after today."

TD was taken aback by her words. An old enemy? TD had made many enemies in his past, both among heroes and villains alike. But who could it be? Surely not a hero; that was out of the question. So a villain, but who? TD's mind was full of so many different questions, none of which had a clear answer. What could he do?

TD sighed. There was only one thing he could do, and that was to prepare for the worst. It was all he could do at the moment. But first...

TD growled in anger at Chrysalis and grabbed her by the horn, preventing any kind of magic to be made. He snarled in her face.

"I won't kill you, for that would only serve to prove you and Stardust right. I want to prove that I can be better than the villains I have defeated, better than the life I left behind. However, I can't have you causing more trouble than you already have. So, this may help out, even if it is a temporary solution."

TD pulled hard on Chrysalis's horn, snapping it off from her forehead and then vaporized what he held into nothing. He then released the chains on her. Chrysalis looked to him in shock and horror of what he had done.

"Chrysalis, former queen of the Changelings," TD said formerly, "You have delved into powers beyond your comprehension and threatened the world of Equestria and all the lands surrounding it. Your actions also threatened the very fabrics of reality and endangered all of existence. Therefore, by the power invested in me as a Guardian of Existence, I sentence you to eternal banishment from Equestria. I strip you of your rank, your title, and your power. Never again will you harm the ponies of Equestria or her allies, and you are not to return on penalty of death. Equestria is closed off from you and your allies forever."

As TD finished speaking, a sudden thundering noise was heard that seemed to echo through space and time, and Chrysalis sensed something change in the fabrics of reality, though how or why was unclear to her. What was clear to her however was this: whatever TD had done, there was nothing that she could do about it. She had lost.

TD turned away from the once-proud Queen and opened a portal in front of him. He left through the portal, reappearing in Ponyville and heaved a sigh. He had done what he could to protect his family, and he had kept his promise. Still, there was one more matter to address.

And it involved a certain Alicorn Princess who had stolen his heart many years ago...

* * *

Twilight found TD in his pony form that night as she returned to her room to go asleep. That wasn't too uncommon for her to see, but what she didn't expect to see was his saddened expression that she could see in his eyes.

"William, is something wrong?" she asked.

"Very wrong," TD replied. His eyes were starting to fill with tears as he spoke.

"What's it about?"

TD was silent for a moment, then he asked tearfully, "Why do you stay with me?"

"Huh?" Twilight was confused. "William, what do you mean?"

"Why do you stay with me?" he repeated. He was now crying freely as he spoke. "You've seen what I am, what I am capable of! Even though I have been given a chance at redemption twice, I still revert back to my old ways at times. You've seen both in the past and present what I almost did concerning Chrysalis alone! I've put you and all of Equestria in danger one too many times just for being here! Your world is completely at my mercy while I'm with you, yet you stay with me! Why?!" TD calmed down a bit and finished in a whisper, "Why haven't you left me to own up to the consequences of my actions?"

TD hung his head and sobbed where he was, not caring that she saw him like this. He reverted into his human form as he wept, not even bothering to keep his form together. TD waited for a response, the suspense being almost unbearable for him. It was bad enough that he had no answer, but did she have to be silent? Was that her answer? If not, why did she not say anything?

TD felt something soft nuzzle up against him and a pair of hooves wrapped around his waist. Lifting his head, he saw Twilight's form in what little lighting was provided nuzzling up against his chest and embracing him tightly. Her wings had spread out to create a sort of feathery canvas that encased his face as well as her own in a sheltered space. She looked him in the eyes and gave him a smile. Even in the low lighting, her eyes seemed to glisten and sparkle.

"I think you know why," she whispered, "but I'll say it again. I saw past the masks that you hid behind, the barriers that you had placed to conceal the pain inside. And even when everyone else saw evil, I knew that there was still good in you. So I didn't give up on you, just like I'm not giving up on you now. William, I fell in love with you because I saw who you truly are, and not because of what you are capable of. And nothing will ever change that. Whatever comes our way, we will solve it together. As a family."

TD looked her in the eye, his own eyes changing into his draconic eyes. For a moment, he was silent. Then he gave a small chuckle.

"Twilight Sparkle, you certainly have a way with words. And that's one of the reasons that I love you."

Twilight smiled and brought her husband into a passionate kiss. He returned the kiss, his hands running through her mane as her wings caressed his face. The purr-like growl came from his body and a sigh escaped them both. As they sat in this embrace, a magical aura surrounded the two of them and enveloped them in a soft glow. TD felt Twilight shudder under his caresses and felt another sigh escape him. He felt much better now, because he knew that what Twilight had said was right. He was capable of many things, but that didn't make her love for him decrease.

And that was good enough.

* * *

 **Yeah! Another chapter down!**

 **Review, favorite, all that good stuff! I'll cya next time!**

 **Peace!**


	27. A New Kingdom and New Family

**Stories come and go, but I'm still here.**

 **For this chapter, TD and Twilight are about to add a new member to their family, but not by birth. Technically speaking, it's through adoption. You'll have to read along.**

 **Note: I have become aware of this, but I realized that I'm a) Way ahead of** ** _Impressionsguy_** **concerning Pinkie Pie and Chuck and b) I haven't officially paired anyone else together, unless you count Fluttershy and Discord. So, there may be a bit of a gap in that regard, as well as some unexplained pregnancies, children, etc.**

 **That being said, I hope that you like the pair ups I did. Even if you don't, please enjoy the story for what it is!**

* * *

"This is the third attack that has occurred this month, TD," Princess Luna said gravely to the human, as he and his family walked beside her. "We were hoping that you might have some idea of what we're up against. You have more experience with otherworldly creatures and powers, so you must understand how serious we believe this to be."

"I understand," TD said politely. He was in his Changeling form, which made him almost as tall as Zach, who was flying at eye level with Luna's face. Twilight was grief stricken as she took a look at the village in front of them- or more appropriately, what was left. Nothing had been spared, and from what reports had been given, there were no survivors. Whoever or whatever had attacked, they had left none alive. Oddly enough, they only found bodies within the village, but nothing outside of the place. The rest of the Mane Seven had arrived earlier on, due to Twilight and TD being a bit preoccupied earlier that day with a special occasion. TD almost wished that they hadn't decided to have the occasion, but what's done is done. Discord was also present, but he mostly seemed there to keep an eye on Fluttershy. _Figures,_ TD said to himself. _He's always been a bit...possessive of Fluttershy, even if his intentions are in the right place._

A familiar alicorn figure dropped down in front of TD, who had switched to his pony form to peer amongst the rubble. This alicorn was a male, grey in color, with a fiery mane and tail, and his crimson eyes held a kind glint to them. TD knew who this pony was, for he had been forced to fight the pony's father once. Phantom Void, son of the former King Sombra.

"TD! Glad you came," Phantom said in friendly greeting. His voice, as always, was dark, yet it held a note in it that told others that he wasn't evil.

"Phantom Void," TD replied. "Good to see you again, friend. How's Midnight Shade?"

"She's doing well, top of her class in magic."

Twilight and Zach caught up with him as Phantom started leading him through the village remains, giving him a summary of what they knew.

"My Fire Wolves have searched the entire village, but there's no survivors to be found. It seems that some of them may have tried to flee, but in vain. One of my Wolves picked up a scent that led off into a mysterious blanket of fog on the other side of the village where we are headed. I've sent several in, but none come back."

TD's brow frowned in suspicion of this fog covering, but when he saw the cloud itself, it almost made him wish that those things would stop popping up. Because several pairs of glowing eyes could be seen in the fog, as if taunting him to enter.

"Fog Lurkers," TD muttered.

"What?" Twilight asked him.

"Those things from the Labyrinth, the ones that I told you not to look at. They can only hurt us if we're in the fog when we look at them, but even from this distance it's unsettling."

"Why would Fog Lurkers be here?" Zach asked. He may have been young, still five or six years old, but mentally he was far more mature than that. As such, he was able to understand what TD was talking about. Plus, he had read TD's entry on them in the library at the Castle.

"I'm not sure Zach, but that's something we must figure out."

Just then, a pony in armor trotted over to Phantom and Luna with a grave expression. His armor was that of a officer, but not just any officer. He was an officer of Equestria's new elite squad, made by TD and Celestia together. These soldiers wore blue or green, with the officers wearing red or orange. The officer in front of them had a crest on his helmet, suggesting that he was of a significantly high status. There was something about this particular pony that TD found familiar.

"Your Majesties," the pony said to the two alicorns, "We found more bodies, but no survivors."

 _We?_ TD thought to himself. _But there's only one of- Wait..._

"Thanks for the help, Fragment Soul," Luna said with a small smile. "You have done what you could, and that's good enough."

"Fragment Soul?" TD asked in joyful surprise. The pony officer turned to him and smiled.

"TD," he replied. "We haven't seen you for a while." His smile disappeared as he gestured to the town. "Do you know what may have caused this?"

"That's what we're gonna find out." TD turned to Zach and Twilight. "Let's prepare the spell then."

Twilight's horn glowed and so did Zach's wings as TD started chanting in the ancient Dragon Tongue. A burst of energy erupted from his body and engulfed the entire town. When it did so, ghostly images of ponies could be seen moving about. The rest of the Mane Seven had joined them by now to see what they were up to.

"Uh, what did that do?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"This will allow us to see the past and what happened during the attack. For those of you who have weak constitutions, you might not want to look."

TD and the other ponies in the area watched as an army of other ghostly ponies, all wearing black armor, rushed into the village and essentially started to massacre the defenseless civilians. Not one was left alive in the city limits. Some managed to get outside the city, but ran into a blanket of fog that had surrounded the place. There, confused and deranged, the ponies were quickly finished off by the Fog Lurkers that resided inside of it. The leader of the attack, a large menacing figure in black armor with a crown on his head, simply watched with seemingly no remorse. TD abruptly ended the scene, unable to bear watching any longer. Anger boiled inside of him.

"The beast!" TD said in a dark voice; his evil personality spoke his mind. "Even I don't stoop as low as killing civilians if it can be helped. This is...barbaric."

"I agree," TD spoke in a grave tone next, his other personality speaking through him. "This is simply inhuman. How such people can exist..."

TD shuddered at the thought of it, especially since he knew that he himself was capable of such violence. Twilight looked to Luna.

"How could this have happened?" she asked.

"I'm not sure Twilight," Luna said, "but this cannot be ignored. We must be ready for anything that might come next. I am unfamiliar with these soldiers that attacked, but perhaps Celestia might know."

Suddenly, Pinkie looked towards the fog and stared hard at it. Her disguise disappeared and everyone turned to her to see what was up.

"She can detect emotions easier without the disguise," TD explained to Fragment Soul, as well as to anyone reading this who was confused as well. Pinkie stepped up to the edge of the fog, then gave a huge gasp of surprise.

"There's a little filly in there!" she shouted.

"What?!" everyone exclaimed, rushing over to her. TD was especially interested.

"The only way anyone could still be alive in there is if they're blind or deaf," TD stated. At everyone's confused stares, TD explained, "For some reason, Fog Lurkers won't attack blind or deaf individuals, even if the individuals look at them or hear their voices."

"If somepony's in there, then what are we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash asked. She started to fly into the fog, but a magical aura surrounded her and stopped her mid-flight. TD looked to her with an apologetic face.

"Sorry RD, but we can't risk losing you. You're too important to Equestria. Besides, it's too dangerous to go in without a plan. If you look them in the eyes while you're in there, they will tear you apart."

"Then, who will we send to get her?" Twilight asked. Everyone was silent, then Zach suddenly stepped forward.

"I'll go," he said.

"Absolutely not!" Twilight shouted, sounding like an overprotective mother.

"Zach, are you sure about this?" TD asked, completely ignoring Twilight's protests.

"I am."

"Okay kiddo, but we take some precautions. Fragment, I need you to do me a favor."

Fragment stepped forward. "What must we do?"

TD smiled. "Zach, do you still know that 'copy' spell?"

"No!" Twilight protested again. "I can't let you do that!"

"Mom, there's no time to argue." Zach looked to Twilight and his eyes glowed softly. "I can do this. I can get her out. Please..."

Twilight was silent, still trying to make up her mind. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Alright," she said reluctantly, "but be careful!"

"I will Mom," Zach replied, "I love you." He gave her a quick hug, knowing that there was a slight chance of it being his last. He then turned to his father and put on a brave face.

"Okay buddy," TD said in a positive manner, "Let's get you ready."

* * *

Zach almost wished that he hadn't signed up once he entered the fog. Almost immediately, he was bombarded by voices that sounded familiar to him, and some not so familiar. The worst ones were the voices of his parents, calling to him and asking how he was doing. He wisely didn't answer or bother to look. _They're still outside,_ he told himself. _They didn't follow me into the fog._ As Zach walked, he could hear one voice that stood out from the rest: a baby's cry. Hoping that it wasn't another Lurker, Zach trotted over to the spot where the cry had come from. On the ground, he found a small blonde baby unicorn with a tiny pink mane and tail. Around her neck was a necklace of some kind. It was open part way, showing two unicorns as pictures on either part inside.

"Her parents," Zach whispered, "They must've died trying to escape with her from the village."

The baby noticed him and he sensed her fear of him, not knowing if he was a friend or an enemy. Zach took a look at her for a second.

 _She's obviously not blind, because she can see me. She's probably deaf, considering that she didn't seem to hear me approaching her._

Zach's wings glowed for a second, and he established a telepathic connection with the filly.

 _Don't be afraid. I'm not gonna hurt you._

The filly stopped crying and looked into Zach's eyes. In the low light within the fog, his eyes glowed brightly, looking at her kindly and gently. The filly looked at him with slight surprise and awe.

 _Don't worry. I'm getting you out of here. Hold on._

Zach decided to take the easy route out, so he held her in his front hooves and teleported outside the fog. As soon as he did, a lifeless clone of himself near his parents disintegrated and disappeared; TD's precaution. Coincidentally, the fog and the Fog Lurkers also started to disappear once he got outside the fog, probably because they knew that their prey had slipped from their grasp. Everyone crowded around the young pegasus and congratulated him. Proudest and most relieved of all was Twilight and TD, who immediately gave their son a big hug after he had barely gotten out.

"Oh Zach! Thank goodness!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Way to go, buddy!" TD smiled, "I knew that you could do it!"

Zach smiled and then showed the unicorn filly to the group. There was a collection of oo's and aww's from the crowd. TD then asked a serious question.

"Her parents? Are they-?"

"Dead. They're gone," Zach replied sadly. "I could sense it as soon as I saw the necklace on her."

TD shook his head sadly. _Poor thing! There's no way that she can survive on her own out here. She needs a place to stay_ _._ TD turned to the rest of the group.

"She needs a place to stay. Is there any place she could go to? The orphanage?"

"Sorry, Sugarcube," Applejack replied sadly, "but the orphanage is full; what with survivors from the previous attacks- or what little came around- and the ponies that are already there, we've got our hooves full as it is."

"Okay...Rarity?"

"I don't think that we could fit that in, darling. I'm usually at the boutique all day when I'm not helping you guys out, and Spike is usually out in Canterlot these days making negotiations with the dragons."

"Of course. I'm not even gonna bother with you and Discord, Fluttershy. Taking care of Screwball is hard enough from what I'm hearing and I wouldn't want you two to be strained more than you already are. Chuck and Pinkie are also a no-go, due to work... Rainbow Dash could work, but then how is she and Soarin gonna keep their eye on a unicorn when they've already got some little pegasai causing enough damage?"

TD sighed and looked to Twilight, who gave him a knowing smile. TD knew what she was offering and it was what he was thinking of too. He looked down to the filly and smiled.

"Zach?" he asked, "How would you like to have a baby sister?"

Zach looked to TD, almost not believing what he was hearing. "You mean...we can keep her?"

"It's probably the best option for her now," Twilight agreed. "Besides, we were thinking about having a little girl to add to the family for a while now."

Zach smiled brightly. "I'd like that very much."

"Then it's settled," TD said with a smile. He then looked to the filly, whom he had taken into his now-human arms. "Hmm, she doesn't possess any memories that would give a name away. Probably from exposure to the Fog Lurkers' presence. I've heard that they can cause mind-altering affects to babies if they are exposed to the fog for too long."

"That adds magic fog to my list of 'Places not to Enter'," Twilight said jokingly. Then she asked, "Do you have any name suggestions?"

TD thought about it for a second, his mind traveling back to different names he had heard before that might fit. As he pondered, a figure came to mind from an old novel-based TV series he had watched back home. TD smiled. It was a good name.

"Diana," he suggested. "Diana Berry."

"Diana..." Twilight looked her husband in the eye and smiled again. "I think it is a beautiful name." She turned to look at Diana, who gave a happy gurgle. "Welcome to the family, Diana Berry."

"Hello, little sister," Zach joined in. Everyone else looked on in awe, temporarily forgetting the situation and just enjoying this moment with their friends.

Better yet, family.

* * *

"So, what should we do?" Celestia asked TD in the Canterlot palace. The rest of the other princesses were present, as well as Twilight and the Mane Six, Phantom Void, Fragment Soul, Discord, Thorax and Pharynx. Some time ago, builders had installed a special table and set of chairs for each of them in a large room set aside specifically for times like this. The table was circular in shape, which was typical for such meetings to allow for easier communications. At first, the builders had wanted to make TD's chair bigger than the others, since he was the strongest of the group and usually led the meetings too. TD had rejected that idea, and instead made each chair as large as the others, though he couldn't resist giving a theme for each chair's occupant with his magic. For example, Twilight's chair had her Cutie Mark engraved above her head and the star itself seemed to shine brightly compared to the rest of the tiny stars on her throne. Zach was also given a seat and was present for this meeting, though initially some ponies outside the metting had given some criticism to it. Diana had been left at the Castle of Friendship with Plank, who had been informed of the situation and had come to lend a hand- er, paw. Thorax had shown up because, while the Changelings had been unharmed by the attacks, one of the victimized villages had been close friends with his hive. Pharynx had arrived as Thorax's personal bodyguard, as he didn't wish to see his brother get hurt by the unknown offenders. After greetings and preparations had been made, they had all agreed to show up at this meeting to discuss their next move. Pinkie Pie, for some reason, had decided not to use her disguise for this meeting, but no one questioned it. By now, everyone in Equestria, for better or worst, was fully aware that Pinkie Pie was a Changeling.

TD sighed as he surveyed the reports of each attack.

"We need to figure out where these attacks are coming from. Obviously, they are ponies themselves, or at least some of them are. We know that they are not going to negotiate with us and that they shall show mercy to no one, so we should not expect any treatment of prisoners from them. There's just one thing that I can't understand."

"And what's that?" Luna asked.

"Where did they get the Fog Lurkers? And why are ponies killing other ponies?"

"That is a decent argument," Twilight noted. Her chair was next to TD's chair on the right-hand side, which was hardly a coincidence. "Fog Lurkers aren't native to Equestria, or this world in general. They must've been summoned here or left behind by the Labyrinth."

"But wouldn't we have known about the Fog Lurkers earlier if the Labyrinth left them behind?" Applejack inquired.

"No Aunt Applejack, we wouldn't have," Zach piped up. His chair was a little too tall for him to sit in properly, so he usually just flew in the air above it, and was doing so now. "Fog Lurkers don't leave any trace of their victims, not even blood. The only indication that we'd get is reports of missing ponies in Equestria. But as we all know, that wasn't the case before these attacks came around. They must've been summoned here quite recently."

Cadence, who sat a bit to his left, let out a small chuckle and said to Zach, "Sometimes I tend to forget that you're only five years old when you talk like that."

Zach smiled. "It's understandable. But you must remember Aunt Cadence that I have always acted more mature than my age and that I'm infested with the essence of a being older than Equestria itself."

"Uh, not to seem rude, but can we get back to the task at hand?" Rarity asked.

"Of course," TD said. He turned to Fragment Soul, who sat just across from Zach. "Fragment? What do you think?"

"We are not sure what to think," Fragment replied, "but we must get to the bottom of this. All of us."

"If we cannot guarantee the safety of our subjects," Phantom noted, "they will start giving in to fear and start to find us ineffective at protecting them. We must find this enemy and put a stop to their attacks for good."

"So what are we waiting for? An invitation?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"Easy, RD," TD warned. "We can't afford to rush blindly into this one. Besides, we don't even know where they are yet."

Just then, a scroll appeared above the table in a burst of green fire and came to rest in the center. Everyone knew it to be a letter from Spike. TD opened the scroll and began to read. He then placed it back down on the table and said, "Spike says that the map is acting up. It has discovered where our enemies might be. And I think I know a way for us to see it too."

TD tapped the table with his finger and a replica of the map in the Castle of Friendship appeared. No one was surprised of this action, for they were well acquainted with TD's capabilities by now. As soon as the map appeared, the Mane Six's Cutie Marks flashed and replicas of them appeared and assembled above the map like they had done when the Pony of Shadows had come around. The Cutie Marks floated down to an area within the wilderness just beyond Equestria and came to a stop. However, this time a symbol of two crossed swords could also be seen above their Cutie Marks; somehow everyone knew that it meant that this was not a friendship problem, but a battle. The council exchanged looks.

"Do you think that the map is telling us where the enemy is?" Fluttershy asked. Even her quiet voice could be heard by everyone at the table no matter their position.

"There's no doubt about it," Celestia stated.

"Hey, I think I know that place!" Thorax exclaimed. "Pharynx and I were once sent there with some other Changelings back when Chrysalis was still in charge. We were supposed to scout the place for any creatures that we could feed off of for their love, but we didn't find anything. If that's where they've gone off to, I think Pharynx and I could help navigate through the area!"

"Wahoo!" Pinkie Pie shouted, suddenly pulling Thorax into a crushing hug. "Changeling scouting party for life!"

TD chuckled, then addressed them more seriously.

"Alright. We know where our enemies have gone, but we don't know what we may face there. I'm suggesting an assault on them, but we'll need to play this carefully. Thorax, you think that you and your Changelings can scout out the area ahead of our troops?"

"Of course."

"Good. Fragment, I'll need you to help with the scouting as well. Because you can infinitely clone yourself, I want you to send a few clones ahead with the Changelings so you can give us a heads up with whatever we may be facing."

Fragment nodded. "We will do our best, TD."

"Excellent. The rest of you will serve as officers for each division. I know that this may be risky, but having Celestia and the other Princesses present may help to boost our morale. Besides, I'm sure that you want to know what our new neighbors want from us personally, don't you?" The last words were directed to Celestia.

"I would indeed," Celestia replied. "And if possible, I'd prefer to resolve this without bloodshed. But if it comes to that, so be it."

"Fair enough. Before we adjourn, is there anyone else whom y'all would suggest that could help?"

"There's one," Twilight said. "Tempest, the unicorn who sided with the Storm King. She's an able combatant, far more than any guard in Equestria, and despite her broken horn, she possesses great power."

"Then it's settled. Gather the troops. We leave in the next few days. This meeting is adjourned."

Everyone rose from the table and exited the room to carry out their orders and prepare for the fight ahead.

Because come tomorrow, they'd most likely be in the midst of a huge battle.

* * *

TD marched ahead of the Equestrian army as they neared their destination. Everything had gone off without a hitch so far, and that's what worried him. That meant that there was plenty of time for the plan to go south. TD looked to Fragment Soul for any updates in the scouting.

"Nothing so far," Fragment said. "It seems that the place is deserted. Wait... we see something. There's a city of some kind in the distance guarded by a large fortress of a castle. The Changelings said that they can see some of the ponies that attacked the village at the battlements and there's some kind of dark thunderstorm surrounding the place. There could be trouble up ahead."

TD signaled for Luna and Celestia to come forward.

"It looks like our mystery ponies have been found. We should be ready for an attack."

Just then, Fragment Soul got a worried expression.

"Oh no! One our clones has been taken out! We've warned the Changelings and they are in full retreat, but my clones aren't gonna make it. It's an ambush!"

TD didn't waste a second.

"Battle positions everyone! Prepare for combat!"

And not a moment too soon, for the enemy had just started to appear from in front of them, surging forward like a large wave. These ponies had cruel armor and weapons in their possession, and boy were they mad. The two armies collided halfway, and combat commended. However, from the start, the Equestrians held the advantage over their opponents. They had the superior warriors, tactics, and magic; as if that wasn't bad enough for the enemy, the Equestrians had THREE chaotic beings, four alicorn Princesses, and a few unique pony warriors on their side; needless to say, the battle was very one-sided. That is, until they discovered a terrible secret: their enemies refused to die. They'd simply stand right back up and continue the fight. TD was particularly surprised himself.

"An immortality curse," he muttered.

A huge blast covered a huge section of the battlefield and continuously kept exploding amongst the enemy troops in a colorful display; Tempest's magic. TD marveled at her combat prowess. Even without her horn, she was quite capable of handling her own in a fight, and when she did use her magic, it was devastating to any foes in its path. If it wasn't for her and Fragment Soul's infinite army of clones, the Equestrians would've been defeated by the never-dying enemies hours ago. But it wouldn't last forever.

"We can't keep fighting like this!" Twilight shouted to him, blasting away at yet another enemy.

"Then we must take out the source," Fragment Soul shouted back. Or perhaps it was one of his clones; at this point, it was hard to tell.

"Cut of the head of the snake," Phantom Void started.

"...and the body withers with it," TD finished. "Phantom, with me! The rest of you, hang on!"

TD snapped his fingers, and both he and the Shadow Pony alicorn teleported away from the battle and into the enemy fortress.

* * *

TD had expected many different causes for this, but a large crystal made of darkness was the last thing he had expected. It seemed to radiate darkness and shadows every so often, and when TD and Phantom got too close it would fire dark tendrils at them. TD whistled.

"Well, guess there's only one thing to do now. Let's purge this Crystal of the darkness within."

TD raised his hand and a surge of energy entered the crystal. The crystal started clearing up, but TD was also straining to keep it up. Just then, a sadly familiar voice shouted, "Stay away from my crystal!"

Phantom Void turned to the voice and saw a familiar figure walk into the room through a door that had just appeared in the side of the wall. He growled.

"Father."

"Phantom Void, my son," the Shadow Pony smirked. "I thought you would've learned by now. I cannot be killed so easily. You have allowed yourself to grow too fond of your friends, and it has weakened you. I will bring you back to the path you were meant to follow!"

"Yeah yeah, we get it," TD said with annoyance, "Just get on with it if you're going to fight. Meanwhile, I'll just be doing my thing."

Sombra clearly didn't like to hear TD speak to him that way, because he immediately fired a blast at the Lord of Chaos. Phantom, however, blocked the attack with a shield and stood between the two.

"This is between you and me, father," Phantom snarled. "No one else."

Sombra looked to TD, then to his son, then smiled.

"Of course. I hope you've said your prayers, because this will be your last!"

And with that, Phantom and his father combated each other once again, this time for the last time. Sombra attacked with a fury and with hatred in his heart, no mercy or remorse to be seen. Phantom Void, on the other hand, fought out of a sense of duty for Equestria, but also out of mercy for all ponies. It pained him to have to combat his father with the intent that one would die, but it was the only way to be free of him.

At last, TD managed to almost purify the crystal, but it needed one more touch. He placed his hand on the crystal, and he was hit with the darkness within the crystal. He could feel the darkness within starting to try and corrupt him. Normally, he would've succumbed to the darkness and his evil side would regain control with the intent to kill. But this time, he held onto a light within him that prevented the darkness from turning him. A light provided by a magenta alicorn almost eight years ago. By holding onto this light within him, the darkness was unable to corrupt the Lord of Chaos. TD took a deep breath, and chanted his spell:

 _From light comes darkness, and from darkness, light!_

A massive burst of energy fired from the crystal and into the sky, as the darkness was expelled from his body and the crystal. The light could be seen from far and wide, and all on the battlefield outside the Castle turned to look. The ponies who had fought so hard against the Equestrians suddenly appeared to have awoke from a trance and regarded the Equestrian army with confusion. Their spell had been broken.

Meanwhile, Phantom had been pinned to the ground by Sombra, who was frustrated with the Shadow Alicorn's endurance and will.

"You're not dead!" he yelled, "Why?"

Phantom secretly summoned a Fire Wolf behind his father before giving his response.

"Because I actually have something worth living for, somepony special!"

The Fire Wolf pounced on Sombra, forcing him to release his hold of Phantom Void and dispell the wolf. However, when he did, he realized something.

"The crystal! No, my power!"

Sombra turned to Phantom Void and tried to fire another blast, but it was terribly weak. Phantom deflected the attack with no difficulty and approached his father.

"I'm sorry it came to this, father," Phantom said with sadness, "but you leave me no choice."

Acting quickly, Phantom placed his horn against Sombra's and it began to glow brightly. Sombra screeched and tried to resist or escape, but in vain. Light engulfed the king's entire body and with a loud scream, the king's form fell apart in tatters on the wind, never to be seen again. However, before his spirit disappeared for good, Sombra's voice was heard shouting back a threat to Phantom and TD both.

 _"This isn't over yet! Your world will fall and all you love will be destroyed. This is just the beginning, for we are but pawns in a game of chess! Fight if you must, but victory will not be yours to claim!"_

The tatters of Sombra's soul scattered in multiple directions, unable to reform again, forever condemning Sombra to a death he could not return from. TD watched this unfold with concern. If this was just the beginning, who knows what else was in store for his future and the future of Equestria. Sombra obviously had not acted alone, and his statement before death only confirmed that suspicion. TD sighed. This riddle was getting more difficult for him to solve as time rolled on. He would have to get to the bottom of this. Only then could he guarantee the safety of his friends.

But that prize would have to wait...for now.

* * *

"We cannot thank you enough for freeing us, Your Majesties!"

The ponies under Sombra's control were more than happy to be free from Sombra's controlling rule, and they continuously thanked the Equestrians over and over again. It wasn't until TD appeared and expressed his annoyance that they fell silent and stopped with the 'thank you's.

"So what happens now?" a pony asked TD. TD looked around.

"I'm not entirely sure, but this kingdom needs someone to rule over it. You cannot be left unattended and I'm afraid that these attacks may start again if we are not careful. This place will need more sufficient protection if we are to guarantee its safety."

"But who will lead us?" another pony asked. "We aren't suited for running a kingdom. None of us are."

TD pondered over this for a moment, then a candidate came to mind. And that said candidate had just now decided to appear. Phantom Void walked over to TD and gave him a short report on the army status. The Equestrians had suffered very few casualties and Sombra's forces had thankfully only suffered minor injuries. TD thanked him for the report, then said to him, "Phantom, we are having a bit of a problem. These ponies may be free from your father's tyranny, but now they are without a leader. I've been thinking it over and I believe that you should be the new leader."

Phantom was stunned. "Me? But, I'm not suitable for leading these ponies. I'm from the same lineage as my father Sombra. The same name and past runs within my veins. Why would you even think to choose me?"

TD smiled. "Because you are not King Sombra. You have chosen to become more than what he portrayed towards others. I've seen your heart Phantom Void, and I see a good pony inside of you, one who wants to prove that he can be better than his father. I see a pony who is living proof that your heritage does not define who you are. And I see a capable leader for these ponies to follow."

Phantom was still a bit stunned by this action, but he knew that what TD said was true. However, he still needed assurance. He turned to the ponies that had gathered around and said, "Well then, I'll do it. If you'll have me."

"We will, lad," one of the elder ponies spoke up. "Here in our kingdom, we believe that you should never judge a pony for his outward appearances or for his family tree. We know that you're not like the pony who enslaved us and turned us against you. Besides, it would be a good way for you to turn over a new leaf in Sombra's family history."

Phantom gave a smile, then turned back to TD.

"Then I will accept the title."

"Hold up a second," TD remarked kindly, "We might as well make this official. I also think that Luna should hear about this. Wouldn't want to just drop a bomb on her, now would we?"

 **Some time later...**

TD wasn't kidding about making the title official. In just a few short hours, he had already made preparations for a crowning ceremony to be held, including the crowns themselves. TD also brought Midnight Shade to the ceremony to make the royal family official. Zach, the Mane Six, and all the others sat in rows upon rows of seats that had been provided. Normally, the room they were in would never have fit in as many ponies as there was present, but TD quickly fixed that problem, with a little help from Discord, by making the room bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. TD, Twilight, Cadence, and Celestia all stood in front of the two alicorns and their daughter as they finished their speech.

"...will you two uphold the law, keep the peace, and rule your subjects with fairness and kindness, so long as you both shall live?" Celestia asked.

"We will," Phantom and Luna said together. TD brought the crowns forward; three crowns, one for each of the alicorns present.

"Then by the power invested in us," TD announced as he set the crowns on their heads, "I hereby crown you Princess Midnight Shade, Princess Luna, and Prince Phantom Void of the Thunder Empire. Long may you prosper."

The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves as the royal family rose and turned to face them. They were all beaming smiles on their faces as they faced the crowd. TD stood back with Twilight as they surveyed the scene.

"I'll admit," TD said to her, "this whole 'Guardian' thing can be difficult. But in the end, it's worth the effort overall."

"Being in a state of power can do that to you," Twilight agreed. She turned her head to look up at her husband. "That reminds me, you still have yet to be crowned as a prince here in Equestria."

TD chuckled. "I know, but if you don't mind, I'd prefer not to be crowned. Besides, I believe that you've already let me in on a little secret concerning that."

"Oh?" Twilight asked playfully, though she already knew the secret. "What's that?"

"That I'm already a prince in your eyes. And that's good enough for me."

Twilight smiled and put a hoof around him as he wrapped an arm around her. The two turned back to the cheering crowd before them and TD smiled even more. Yep! It was all worth it.

Not even all the evil and chaos in the world could top this...

* * *

 **Finally! I thought I'd never publish this!**

 **Again, apologies for the huge gap in marriages, children, pairings, etc. I could make a side-series that goes into detail on that stuff, more or less, but for now you'll have to wait. Sucks, I know, but nobody said being a writer was easy. Or a viewer for that matter.**

 **How many of you loved my shameless Fourth Wall Breaks from my early chapters? Well, I think it's time to bring it back! Starting with the next chapter, I'll be trying to add in more Fourth Wall Breaks like that in the future. Because honestly, I just LOVED those things!**

 **Follow, favorite, review, or all three if you'd prefer, and I'll catch ya in the next one!**

 **Peace!**

 **Edit: Spell used is from the Warcraft movie.**


	28. Joy Star

**Let's get this party started!**

 **This chapter was made in collaboration with** ** _Admirer Boy_** **in regards to his own OC, Joy Star from "The Celestial Child". Big thanks to him for the help!**

 **Everyone else, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

A small filly walked through the streets of Ponyville, humming a cheerful song as she trotted towards Rarity's boutique. She was roughly around five years old, with a blonde coat, a pink mane and tail, and blue eyes. A cheerful demeanor seemed to surround her and everypony she met gave her a friendly smile as she passed by. Her name was Diana Berry, the adoptive daughter of Twilight Sparkle and the human known as TD. Though Diana didn't yet know about her adoptive background, she was still fully aware that the family she lived with was rather different from her...vastly different. She didn't complain about it though, for she loved her family so much and they clearly loved her back. As long as that was obvious, Diana didn't really care too much about her past. Today, Diana was supposed to retrieve a new dress that Twilight had ordered for the Grand Galloping Gala that was fast approaching. Zach would've been sent, but he and Plank were busy in the Everfree forest taking care of some issues regarding the other not-so-friendly Timberwolves. Diana sighed. Her big brother was probably her favorite companion. So gentle, so kind, and always willing to lend a helping hoof. She wondered why so many other ponies would be even a little bit afraid of him, despite his heritage.

A sudden energy surge went over Diana and she stopped in the streets. Confused, she turned and looked in the direction of Everfree where the energy had come from, searching the skies for anything that would give away something. She saw a burst of red light come from the forest and she let out a gasp. Diana may not have been as good in spells as Zach, but she knew enough to tell her that a magical being had just entered Equestria. Forgetting all about the errand she had to run, Diana rushed towards the Everfree Forest as fast as her legs would carry her.

* * *

In a part of Everfree forest where nopony usually goes, there suddenly appeared a figure in a burst of red aura, almost five feet tall. The figure had bright yellow hair on his head and through his tattered white T-shirt and blue jeans, his bare skin could be seen clearly. With a thud and groan of pain, the figure fell straight on the ground. Supporting itself on his front claw like appendages he came on his knees.

"Discord!" he yelled. He was breathing heavily. He stood up on his legs and groaned in pain once again. The figure looked around to indicate where he was. He decided to walk in a certain direction where he could feel the presence of somepony, or at least someone. There was a little shakiness in his walk due to the wounds he had suffered from. Darkness, trees, and bushes were all around him and very exotic critters could be seen. He wasn't sure where he could be. But remembering some of the stories his mother told him, he could reckon where he was.

 _Am I in the Everfree forest? Mom's gonna be so mad at me._ he thought.

Suddenly a very foul smell started to disturb his nostrils. He covered his nose and showed a disgusted expression. _What's with this smell?_ He suddenly heard some strange roars from behind him. A look of panic came on his face, and he looked behind him. By doing so, he saw three Timber Wolves starting to come closer. He gritted his teeth in anger. His eyes and hands started to glow with a light brown aura and he turned around to face them. The Timber Wolves sprinted towards him but before they could get closer he blasted a huge burst of energy towards them using his fist. They were reduced to coal in a moment.

"Take this, you beasts!" he yelled, and continued his path towards that certain place. At last he reached in front of a place which looked like a hut. A faint smile came across his lips.

 _Must get some help._

He went in front of the door and knocked at this once or twice. "Is somepony here?" he asked faintly.

Still breathing heavily and suffering the pain, he waited for someone to open it. Soon the door was opened and a Zebra mare stood in front of him. The Zebra looked at the creature's condition. She did know that this creature was a human like TD, the husband of Princess Twilight, but she didn't know that there would be another one.

"Oh my friend, you don't look so well," Zecora said with concern, "You might need a little help, I can tell."

The boy only heard this barely, as he soon fainted on her doorstep.

* * *

"Zecora!" a female child's voice shouted, barely bringing the human back to consciousnesses. "What happened?"

"Whoa, slow down Diana," an older, male child's voice replied, "You can't just barge in here like that, unless it's a life/death situation."

"Sorry, Zach. Zecora."

The human couldn't see anything yet, for his eyes were still closed, but he could hear what was happening around him. He could at least hear three different voices. One of them was definitely that of the Zebra mare he seen earlier. The other two were probably of a filly and a colt. There was another sound which was somewhat like whimpering. A pet dog maybe.

"Zach and Diana, my dears, meeting you is a pleasure!" once again, that Zebra spoke.

"Maybe her name's Zecora," the human said to himself.

"We just felt a disturbance here and wanted to check it out," the colt's voice said. "So, what happened?"

There was a short pause and then a gasp of surprise from the two younger ponies.

"A human? But I thought Daddy was the only human in Equestria," the voice of Diana remarked.

"He is," Zach's voice replied, "but this human isn't from this Equestria. He's from somewhere else. Zecora, where'd you find him?"

The human heard this.

 _A human? That's what Discord was calling me. Is a human what I am?_

Slowly but steadily, he was coming back to his full senses. Feeling his surrounding, he indicated that he was on a bed of leaves. He could feel the bandages on his arms and legs.

"He came at my door and was wounded badly, but passed out before I could ask him something, sadly," Zecora answered.

"Oh, I hope he's okay," Diana said with a tone of concern.

"Don't worry, Diana," Zach replied, "Zecora is one of the greatest healers around. But if you need clarification, you could ask our little friend himself. I think that he's coming to."

At this, the dog whimper came again and a soft nose nudged the human's side, too large to be that of a normal dog. The Human felt the breath upon his face as he heard the whimper. Smell was pretty bad enough.

"Unghhh!" he made sound and slowly opened his eyes and looked at the strange dog face in front of him. Only that wasn't the face of a dog.

"*Shriek* Timber wolfff!" He brought his arms in front of his face in defensive position and sat up on the bed. "Stay away from me!"

But instead of attacking, the Timber Wolf simply made another whine, as if saddened to see this reaction. A pegasus colt of around ten years old walked over to the Timber Wolf and laid a hoof on the beast's shoulder. The pegasus was blue with green stripes, and his mane and tail both were red in color. One wing was green and the other blue, but his most shocking feature was his eyes. They were purple in color, but draconic instead of pony-like. They glowed slightly inside the hut, but with a caring and gentle expression. He was soon joined by a blonde unicorn filly, with blue eyes and a pink mane and tail.

"Sorry about that," the pegasus apologized, "Plank just wanted to see if you were okay. He may seem bad, but he's a real softy once you get to know him."

As if to prove his point, the pegasus gave the Timber Wolf a quick pet and Plank made a happy-sounding noise in his throat.

"Are you okay, mister?" the unicorn asked, looking into his eyes. The human could've sworn that miniature hearts could be seen in her eyes surrounding her pupils. The human looked more closely at her eyes. Those eyes were really beautiful and they reminded him of somepony. He smiled and nodded in reassurance, as he extended his hand towards her to nuzzle her mane. The unicorn filly smiled at this.

"I'm fine, little filly," the human said reassuringly. Diana gave him another smile and sighed in relief. Soon the boy returned his gaze to the pegasus colt with draconic eyes alongside him. "Plank" was standing near him. His incredulity was telling that he was really amazed at such exoticness.

"Your eyes!" the human exclaimed, "How did that happen?"

Zach smiled. "I was wondering when you'd say something. I was born with them. It's because of my mom and dad's magic combination, Chaos and Friendship."

"Oh, I see," the human said, "So you're saying that's from your parents? That's quite... interesting."

The Timber Wolf came closer to the human. After a little hesitation, the human pet the woodland beast. Plank whimpered happily like a dog as he did this.

 _I never thought I'd ever pet a Timber Wolf._ "He's quite... nice."

"Yes, he is," Zach agreed. "I found him when he was just a puppy and raised him to adulthood. In a sense, I guess you could say that I'm his dad."

Just then, Zach seemed to notice that Diana had gone over to some other part of the hut, where she was busy admiring the masks and other ornaments that decorated the interior. Zecora stood near her with some tea, but at first didn't seem to catch Diana's attention, even after she had spoken her name a few times.

"Oh, forgot about that. One second, Zecora," Zach said. He stomped one of his hooves on the floor a few times, and Diana turned to him questioningly.

"Diana, Zecora has your tea," Zach replied kindly.

"Oh!" Diana looked to Zecora and accepted the tea. Zach then turned back to the human, who was confused as to why Diana had been unable to hear Zecora. Zecora came towards the puzzled human with a cup of tea. He looked towards the tea and then towards Zecora before picking up the cup.

"Oh!" he said, "Thank you miss."

"No problem, my friend! I'd gladly do it all over again. Take this herbal tea, you'll feel better hopefully."

The human smiled and took a sip from the cup. Its taste better than he was expecting.

"Thank you my friends," said the human, looking towards the group as he remembered something. "By the way, I'm Prince Joy Star of Canterlot."

"A Prince?" Diana seemed in awe. This only confused Joy more concerning the filly. Zach seemed to notice this and chuckled.

"I probably should've explained that earlier. Diana is deaf, so she can't hear anything. I partly fixed that with a spell, but all it does is allow her to understand what you're saying if she's looking at you." Zach then asked, "If I may ask, how is it that you are a prince? By that, who brought you into the Royal Family?"

"Well," Joy was a little confused, "Princess Celestia is my mother. She's been taking care of me since I was a foal. She brought me to royal family to be exact." Joy smiled still a bit confused. _Really, they don't know me? I'm practically the only one of my kind in Equestria._ "You've never heard of me before? Almost the whole of Equestria knows me, thanks to my mom." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Zecora only giggled at his confusion.

"Celestia's your mother?" Zach asked with surprise. "But we know Celestia well. In fact, I'm actually a member of her council. She doesn't have any-" Zach suddenly stopped himself and a look of realization struck him. "Oh dear..."

"Uh oh," Diana muttered, "that means something's not right."

Now Joy was really confused and freaking out. _D_ _id that colt just say that he's a member of Mom's council? But when did that happen? Besides that colt's looks only around nine or ten. Isn't he too young for this? Is that a joke?_

Joy smirked and soon started to chuckle "You're saying that you're member of the council." Then he looked towards the concerned filly. She wasn't looking like as her brother was joking. Joy ceased chuckling and then said with concern, "You're serious?" He questioned. _I'm having the feeling like something's really screwed up here._

 _"This isn't a joke, Joy Star,"_ a voice suddenly said in his mind. No one had spoken outwardly, but a look from Zach's caring eyes told Joy that he had been the voice in his mind. Zach sighed and the voice continued.

 _"You have been sent outside of your universe and into our own. I wanted to break it nice and slow, but it seems that's not an option anymore."_

The smile on his face was completely vanished now. He wasn't sure that how he should react to this situation now. A ten year old, but surprisingly smart colt was telling him that he was not in his universe anymore.

 _Maybe he's right. When I used that spell to banish Discord maybe then... but still I just can't believe that I'm not in my world anymore, even if a ten years colt is telling me that. Yeah, he's surprisingly wise for his age, but even then being thrown out of my universe is something too huge._

"Well, I heard what you said umm... Zach," said Joy with a neutral expression, "But I want to find answers my way." He took a brief look at his condition. He was only in his shorts. Other than that major part of his body was covered in bandages. Realizing that he couldn't go anywhere like this, he looked towards Zecora.

"Miss Zecora, where are my clothes?"

"You were so wounded when you came here and fainted on the ground," Zecora blushed a little, "I had to remove them to patch up your wounds while waiting for you to come around."

"Do you still have them?" Joy asked.

Zecora nodded and in a while she came back with a tattered white T-shirt and jeans. Joy took his jeans and searched in one of his pockets. He soon found what he was looking for: it was heart shaped necklace. He opened the necklace and showed this to the colt. There were eight miniature pictures in them. Four of them were of his younger self, with a pink filly with purple mane. Her eyes had a striking resemblance with the eyes of Diana. The other four pictures were of him with Princess Celestia. In each, he was either hugging her or standing beside her.

"You see, I'm her son," Joy said in a sad tune, "At least, I believed this..." He lowered his face for a while. He still didn't want to believe him. Then suddenly he raised his head.

"I know Discord had messed up my real world by making another strange reality, but I'm... I'm not gonna fall for this." He was almost sobbing, as if he was regretting something. He pulled on his jeans as tears started to come to his eyes. "I'm going back to Ponyville."

He started to walk but as he tried to do so a jolt of pain in his ankle made him groan in pain.

"Whoa dude! Slow down!" Zach said to him, his eyes glowing a tad bit brighter. "You've been hurt bad. You can't just leave yet!" He looked to Joy. "You don't believe me, do you?"

At this, Diana grabbed Joy's lower leg and looked up at him. The miniature hearts appeared in her eyes again and she gave him a caring expression.

"I know that you're not lying," she said softly, "but neither is Zach. My big brother is confusing in many ways, but he's not a liar. This isn't your universe...though whether you believe that or not is for you to figure out on your own." She sighed. "I can't change your mind, but I can help you get to Ponyville. Look for my mommy; Princess Twilight Sparkle. She'll help you."

Diana's horn glowed and she touched Joy's knee with it. A surge of energy coursed through him and his pains suddenly disappeared. Looking down, Joy found that all of his wounds were healed. Joy was feeling so much better now. His wounds were healed and now he could move his leg easily. He was feeling a new energy within him. Joy looked down at the filly and couldn't help but smile. He pulled her into his arms, and nuzzled her mane.

"Did you said Princess Twilight?" He asked her softly with a surprised tune.

Diana nodded in reply. Joy sighed and looked towards her cute face.

"I believe you Diana. Thanks for helping me." Joy put her down and looked down at her. "But still I need some answers."

He then looked towards Zecora, "Thank you so much Miss Zecora for helping me in the first place. I don't know what would've happened if I haven't found you in time."

With this, he removed his patches and looked at his favorite shirt. It was ragged now, but it was the only one he had. He pulled this on too and went towards the door of the hut. He stood in front of the door for a while, before opening it and leaving the hut. Zach watched him leave before shaking his head sadly.

"He still doesn't understand," he said softly. "But I hope that Mom or Dad can help him in the end. Come on, Diana! We need to go. Thanks, Zecora!"

Zach looked behind him to see that Diana hadn't noticed his call. Zach smiled warmly and stomped his hoof on the ground to get her attention. Diana turned to him and realizing what he was trying to tell her, she politely turned to Zecora and said, "Thank you," then followed her big brother out of the hut. Zecora let out a chuckle as they left.

"Oh, if you only you two could know where this is going to go."

* * *

After walking for a while, Joy found himself in an open area. He had come inside the town. Everything was so calm there. Ponies were walking here and there going about their business, although some were gazing upon him strangely. It was not like he had seen the place a few hours ago. But right now he had to find Twilight. He was well aware of where Golden Oak Library was so he headed towards that direction. But instead of finding a hollow tree library, he found a tree-like crystal castle.

"I know, this reality is messed up." Joy said to himself and went up in front of the castle's door. He was going to knock at the door, but right then he felt something odd. He could feel the presence of a very strong being; and worse, he was feeling the presence of a dark aura, almost like he had felt back when Discord was freed from his stone prison. This turned his doubt to belief. There was a strong entity most likely inside the castle.

"John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt! His name is my name, too!" a voice suddenly came from inside. It sounded male and was MUCH younger sounding than Discord. The gates to the castle opened and another human stepped out. This human appeared to be around eighteen years old, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a reddish beard on his face. He was carrying a small bundle of something out of the door and was singing a strange song to himself. The human dropped the bundle on the ground and snapped his fingers - actually, Joy noticed that he DIDN'T snap his fingers; he had only pretended to, yet the sound was still heard. The bundle burst into flames and the human sighed with relief.

"About time," he said aloud. "I'm honestly glad that Twi had me destroy that horrid book. It was really getting on my nerves."

Just then, the human seemed to sense Joy's presence and he turned to look the Prince in the eye. There was an awkward silence for a second, interrupted only by a chirping cricket. As soon as it did however, the human replied sheepishly, "Sorry! Couldn't resist!" and "snapped" his fingers again. The chirping stopped and the silence returned.

"Another human?" TD said to himself aloud. "How'd he get here?"

Joy was staring him in eyes, still a little confused.

 _A human, he says? So I suppose this is what they call my kind. So that means he's a human too... or just pretending to be._

By the human's appearance, it was clear that they both were creatures of same kind, with different hair and eye color, and a bit different by facial features. Joy was really confused that this much energy was coming from him, but as he was using magic by snaps, using his magic for strange acts, and singing that awfully weird song, he presumed that he was the Beast of Chaos in disguise.

"You can't fool me now!" said the Prince, as he fired a shining fist towards the human figure in front of him.

TD had not expected to fight, so he was sent flying several yards away towards a tree in the distance. At the last second, he changed into his pony form and smacked into the tree hard, snapping it in half. TD groaned and pulled himself to his feet, then turned to Joy in the distance and shouted, "What was that for!?"

"I know it's you Discord so don't try to fool me!" yelled Joy, "Our fight wasn't finished before so I'll end this now!"

Joy's feet glowed as he ran towards TD who was now in his pony form. Growling with anger, he charged his fist for another blow. TD, unable to change forms fast enough, charged his horn up and fired a blast of his own at Joy. The two's attacks collided midway, but to Joy's surprise, "Discord's" blast easily pushed Joy's back like it wasn't even there, forcing the Prince to dodge out of the way. The light around them suddenly dimmed and darkened, and TD's eyes glowed menacingly in the low light.

"Think, boy," TD said, still trying to avoid a fight for now, "I've survived far worst than this. I'm not the Chaotic being you're looking for!"

Joy was surprised as he looked towards TD with wide open eyes. He was almost stunned by energy he just felt. He gritted his teeth as he gazed upon the disguised entity of Chaos. It was stronger than anything he ever felt before. Even stronger than the combination of his mother, aunt, and cousin's aura.

 _No way, if he really is Discord than he's much more stronger than he was before. So is he...? But Discord is the only being with chaos magic. I know it's him._

TD apparently heard his thoughts or something, because he let out a laugh.

"What's the matter?" he said mockingly, "Never seen another person with powerful magic? You are naive if you still think that I'm Discord! I've seen rocks smarter than that!"

"*grunt* Shut up!" Joy felt rage as he never had felt before. He charged his fist once more with even more magic. Bending his knees in attacking position he launched a strong energy beam at him. Sadly, like before, TD effortlessly blocked it. But this time, he was surprised at what he felt.

"What? It can't be...is it really him?"

Breathing heavily Joy looked towards TD. Using so much magic had cost him much of his stamina. He was unable to keep himself on his feet. He lost his balance as he came on his knees, and his hands touched the ground.

 _I failed you Mom, aunt Luna, Cadence, and my beloved Bubble. Mother, please forgive me for not obeying you._

"I'm not afraid of you. Do your worst," he said, and waited for TD to attack. But instead, TD did something that Joy had not expected. His horn stopped glowing, he lowered his guard, and the lighting returned to normal. Switching back to his human form, TD walked over to the boy and held out a hand, offering to help him to his feet.

"And why would I want to kill the son of Princess Celestia, despite what universe he came from?" TD asked. His eyes held a kind note in them. "You're of my kind. Besides, your story is far from over, Prince Joy Star."

Joy couldn't believe that what he was doing. If he would be that Discord who was trying to kill him, then he would never do that. Joy stared at him in disbelief. _So I was really wrong this time. So I suppose that pegasus colt Zach was right about me being in a different universe. That's crazy!_

"You're not Discord!" said Joy as he grabbed his hand, "So who are you? You look like me," he said with a little delight in his tune. There were so much questions in his mind that time but he didn't quite get something TD said. "Wait, my story? What do you mean by my story?"

TD smiled. He could tell Joy about the story his author had made, but instead gave him a simpler version.

"Life is a story that you write, and in some cases you are the author or main character of your own story. I can tell you many things with my magic, and one thing I know for a fact is this: your story still has a long ways to go."

Just then, there was a swift flapping of wings in the distance and a familiar voice called out, "William!" A lavender alicorn dropped nearby and stared in their direction, more specifically at TD. Despite her wings and increased size (for she had grown by almost half a foot now), even Joy knew who it was.

Twilight Sparkle.

"Twilight!" said Joy, "Wow, so you're a Princess here?"  
Right now Joy was so much happy to see a familiar face. Now he could get some answers he wanted to know. He gave her a smile and waved a hand towards her.

"Um, William?" Twilight asked her husband, "Who's that?"

TD smiled. "Twi, meet Prince Joy Star, son of Princess Celestia...in another universe."

"A Prince?" Twilight seemed to be interested in this. "And a human like you..."

Joy smiled and nodded. "So a hooman is what I am, right?" Joy asked, looking towards TD. "It feels good to finally know the name of my species. And it's nice to see another 'hooman'." Joy extended his hand for a handshake.

"It's pronounced 'human'," TD stated, but still shook his hand kindly. He then got curious. "You mean that you don't know anything about your species?"

"Nope!" Joy shook his head. "Mom said that it doesn't matter and in fact it hasn't bothered me since the time me and Bubb..." Joy paused as a blush crossed his cheeks "Since something special happened in my life, this fact never bothered me for real."

"You and Bubble?" TD finished with a smile. At Joy's shocked expression, he laughed. "It's okay, Joy! I know a lot about your universe, believe it or not, including your relationship with Bubble. Don't worry, I'm okay with it. After all, I got hooked with somepony as well. Joy, you may know Twilight, but what you don't know is that here, she's my wife."

Joy once again stared at him in disbelief. And then he looked towards Twilight. A wide smile crossed his lips. He said playfully, "Unbelievable! For real?" He showed amazement in his expression.

"That's amazing. Congratulations!"

When he said that, however, he felt a little bad for the Twilight of his own world. She was the one who never even had a chance to express her feelings.

Just then, a flash of light appeared nearby and a few more figures appeared in front of them. It took only a second to recognize them as Zach, Diana, Rarity and Applejack. The group turned to TD and those around him, and various reactions occurred. Zach and Diana were happy to see Joy again, while Rarity seemed to be shocked. Applejack just muttered, "Well I'll be darned."

"Ugh!" Rarity screeched in disgust, "Not only do we another human around, but he also has a TERRIBLE sense of fashion! Look at that attire! It's atrocious!"

TD giggled. "Oh sure!" he said playfully, "Don't even bother to ask how or why he's here. Just go straight to the fashion."

"Joy!" Zach and Diana both rushed over to the Prince. Diana threw her hooves around him while Zach simply smiled and stood a relatively short distance away from the two.

"Hi!" Joy said as he returned the hug to Diana and looked towards Zach. "It's so nice to see you both again. And I'm sorry for my little rude behavior before. I was just so confused back there."

"It's cool," Zach replied, "You were kind of brought into a situation that you have never been thrust into before."

TD smiled in amusement. "So, I see you've already met my son and daughter."

"Yeah!" Joy nodded and put the little filly down. "I must say they have the most impressive abilities of any foal I ever met." Joy nuzzled Diana's mane as he spoke.

"It's understandable. Zach was born with both my powers and William's too," Twilight responded, " and Diana actually learned some neat spells of her by searching through our library." Twilight suddenly seemed to realize something. "Oh, why don't you come inside the castle? We can talk more easily in there."

"It's fine with me." Joy said "I could take a little rest after that exhausting fight with your husband."

Upon hearing this, Twilight glared at TD.

"What?" TD said defensively, "He attacked first!"

* * *

It didn't take long for Joy to get himself comfortable in the castle. They had decided to sit in the lounge room TD had installed over ten years ago, as it was the largest room in the castle. It was also the most law-defying room too, because it was bigger on the inside than on the outside. Starlight and the rest of the Mane had joined them shortly, possibly because TD's fight with Joy was rather hard to miss from a distance.

"Now then," Twilight said, "can you tell us how you got here?"

"Well..." Joy began.

 **Flashback**

Joy was walking towards Canterlot's library, even though Celestia had ordered him not to leave his room.

 _Sorry to disobey you mother, but I just can't wait for everything turning back to normal on it's own while that fowl beast is corrupting my friends and spreading chaos everywhere,_ Joy thought. In a while, he was in front of the library's entrance. He went inside the library without any hesitation. Looking through the Starswirl section, he found what he was looking for: a banishing spell, a very high level banishing spell. Joy took the scroll with him and went outside. Thanks to all the havoc, it was easy for him to escape the castle. Then without wasting any further time, he used a teleportation spell to bring him to Chaos Capital (Ponyville).

 _I know I'll be grounded badly for using high level spells but right now that doesn't matter._

"I hope this works." said Joy, closing his eyes and performing the spell. In a flash of light he found himself behind the throne of Discord. A smile of pride came upon his face along with a tingle on his spine. Discord wasn't looking at him, so maybe he didn't notice him. Charging his fist and aiming for the master of chaos, Joy was just about to attack...

"So you're here, human," came a voice from behind him. Joy looked behind him abruptly, as he lost all his concentration. And guess who it was?

"I'm here to stop you Discord! Like my mother and aunt did before!"

A trail of ice crystals appeared on Discord's spine as he made a shudder.

"Oh, I'm so afraid of you! Are you going to scratch me with those tiny tiny hands?" Discord mocked him, as the ice on his spine disappeared and he made a hysterical laugh. "Seriously, for a little human your sense of humor is quite impressive."

Joy gritted his teeth and attacked the beast of Chaos. Discord dodged the attack by cutting himself in half, then he snapped his fingers as a hole appeared beneath Joy's feet. Joy fell through this, then out of nowhere, he fell from the sky, shielding himself just before hitting the ground. He came to his feet again and ran towards Discord with his super speed. Discord then suddenly was replaced by a iron pole. Joy tried to stop but couldn't and ended up hitting the pole very hard, and he fell to the ground.

"We can do this for ever," Discord stated as he flew over Joy's head, "You're so much fun to play with." Discord's face appeared in front of his own, "Why don't you become my toy? Besides, Celestia will throw you away anyways once she knows the truth about your species."

Joy heard Discord saying bad things about his mother and rest of his family and friends. He couldn't take this anymore, so a powerfull rage started to build inside him. His body started to glow with aura. Joy stood up and looked towards the master of Chaos. In his eyes, only pure light could be seen.

"So what's your plan, Joy Scar?"

That did it. Discord had made a joke of his name. The name his mother gave him out of love and joy.

"ENOUGH YOU FOUL CREATURE!" yelled Joy, and for a very slight second the outline of a bird appeared around Joy's body, as he launched an energy beam towards Discord. Discord felt it this time and actually reacted to it.

"Oh, that hurts!"

Then Joy launched many energy attacks upon him, one after another. As everything became clear, Discord was lying on the ground.

 _Maybe I do not need to do that spell anymore._

Joy went closer to examine him but before he could get near the master of Chaos, he was ran over by a herd of long stick-leg rabbits. Suddenly Discord appeared upon his head laughing hysterically.

"For a second I thought that you really got me."

Joy was now wounded sorely. But Discord's fun wasn't finished yet.

"How about a game of hitting a... Human!" Discord said as many whackers appeared near the human. Joy tried to save himself by using a shield and dodging the attacks, but he still got whacked every few seconds, shrieking in pain and anger, much to the amusement of Discord. After a while the whackers vanished. Joy was breathing heavily as he made a final decision.

 _I have to use this high level spell now!_

"Now, what next?" Discord looked at a checklist, "Check!"

He was not paying attention to the human anymore. That was his chance. Joy drew out the scroll from his pocket and performed the spell. His fist glowed, but this time with a fiery red aura as he aimed for Discord again. Once his fist was fully charged, he blasted a red energy sphere towards Discord.

"Oh, that's a good idea," said Discord as he saw the ball of energy coming towards him. He snapped his claws and now he was in a baseball costume, holding a silvery baseball bat in his claws. He hit the energy sphere with the bat and reflected it back towards Joy.

"Home Run!" Discord yelled.

Joy was now stunned. He found himself unable to get out of the sphere's way. He tried to use his magic to deflect the sphere, but in vain. At last, the red energy shrouded him, making him vanish in blink of an eye. A smirk appeared on Discord's face when he saw this.

"And that's how no more humans were ever seen again. The end," He said, as he wrote this on a book using a quill. He then closed the book before making it vanish into flames.

 **End of flashback**

"And then I found myself in your Equestria's Everfree forest." Joy told as the others listened carefully. "Somehow I found Zecora's hut before passing out, who kindly helped me..." Joy told them everything up till the part when he saw TD and mistook him for someone else, "And..." Joy paused, looking towards the TD.

TD finished. "He thought I was Discord tricking him with a fake reality. I soon proved him wrong, though I admittedly could've handled that better."

Twilight looked rather thoughtful when they finished.

"A banishing spell?" she asked no one in particular, "How could he possibly deflect a banishing spell?"

"I'm not sure but..." Joy placed a hand under his chin. "I think I messed up the spell while performing this, given that I was already very wounded and exhausted."

"I find that hard to believe," TD said. "Even in a wounded and exhausted position, the banishing spell should've worked. And even if he too is a being of Chaos like myself, he shouldn't have been able to dispel it that easily. I smell a rat, or possibly something worse..."

Joy raised an eye. "What you mean my friend? There's a threat worse than Discord..." he looked pretty worried.

"Joy, there are plenty of things worst than Discord. In fact, you had the honor of fighting one such thing personally," TD stated, referring to himself. "I am probably the worst enemy anyone has ever had to fight before. However, there are some things that even I fear, not because they're more powerful than me, but because of what they are capable of. If Discord has had some help concerning that banishment spell..."

TD didn't finish, but the warning was already implied. The rest of the Mane Six seemed to be worried about this. Pinkie Pie in particular seemed uncharacteristically scared. Her fear caused her disguise to fall away, which made TD chuckle a bit.

"Pinkie, I haven't even said what it is yet. For all we know, it could be a minor problem."

"I know," Pinkie Pie replied, "but the suspense is unbearable!"

"I see," said Joy taking deep sigh. _Please let it be a minor problem._ "So do you think you know about that threat?"

"I'm not sure. Several come to mind, but none that I think of seem to work. It makes no sense."

During this time, Diana seemed to be caught up in a book she was reading while walking around, to the point where she didn't seem to notice that she was gonna bump into the sofa they were sitting on. But it turned out to be unnecessary to warn her, as her body and the book suddenly phased through the sofa as if it wasn't even there. It wasn't until Zach tapped her shoulder that she realized where she had ended up. She nodded to him and continued reading, this time sitting down to do so. Joy was once again amazed by all the situation. He was still really worried inside, but a smile managed to show upon his face. He looked towards TD and then towards Diana.

"She's so precious," Joy said to himself and then he looked towards the TD and the Mane Six again. "I don't understand what to do. I mean my whole world could be in danger and..." Joy held his head in his hands as he felt a jolt of pain in his head.

"Joy?" TD rushed to his side. Zach also came down to his shoulder. But his vision had already changed...

* * *

 _...a human female was cooing Joy like a baby..._

 _... there was another human talking to her..._

 _... they were going somewhere..._

 _... they went away, leaving him whining..._

* * *

"I see something." Joy said breathing heavily, "A... human female. She's cooing me."

"Cooing?" TD was interested in this, "Like a mother to a baby?"

"Hold on..." Twilight seemed interested too. "Joy, have you had something like this happen before?"

"Yeah, several times I've had strange dreams. I wanted to tell Mom about that, but I never remembered."

"Joy, you may be experiencing memories of your past, before Celestia found you," TD explained.

"What else do you see?" Zach asked gently.

"As far as I can remember," Joy lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Those 'humans' were saying something about the only way to safe their son's life... from someone who wanted him... dead."

Diana looked up from her book and noticed the troubled looks of those near Joy. Putting her book down, she watched the group with concern in her eyes.

Joy continued. "There's another human... a male. They're taking me somewhere. They... left me alone..." Joy was sweating badly now.

Seeing Joy's distressed condition, Diana quietly trotted up to him and gave him a sympathetic look. It seemed like she was asking him if he wanted another hug without actually saying anything. Without any hesitation, Joy hugged the unicorn filly and let out some tears. A sad smile came upon his face as he wiped out the tears from his still closed eyes.

"Th... Thank you... I really needed this hug," said Joy.

Everyone smiled warmly at this act, then Zach spoke next.

"I know it's probably not the best way to say this, but I think that your parents loved you very much, Joy. They did what they felt was the best option for you, to save you from whatever was threatening you. Any parent who's willing to go through such extremes is one who truly loves their child with all their heart."

"Wait a minute..." TD suddenly seemed to realize something. "Joy, are there any distinguishing features that you could get off of the one who wanted you dead? Or am I asking the wrong question at the wrong time?"

"Distinguishing features?" asked Joy, a little confused at the question, "I really... don't know."

"Did his voice sound robotic? Like this?" TD gave a demonstration of the voice he was thinking of: "Seek and destroy."

Joy's eyes opened widely as he remembered something. That phrase 'seek and destroy' sounded a little familiar to him but he didn't remember why.  
"I don't remember that clearly, but I do remember something like that." Joy tried to remember, "Maybe something from my strange dreams."

"If it's who I think it is, then we'd better get you back home, and fast before he causes more damage!"

Twilight looked up at her husband, surprised at his reaction. Never had he seemed so scared of what someone might do to another world.

"Really! You can send me back?" said Joy as he stood up. "But what's the threat, and how exactly are you going to send me back?" Joy was a little panicked at TD's reaction.

"Yes, you'll learn in due time, and quite easily. In that order!" TD answered. He then looked to Twilight. "Well, I guess I'm off again."

"Be careful," she said to him. They gave each other a quick kiss, then embraced each other lovingly. Diana and Zach joined in on the hug, then TD stood up and looked to Joy.

"Alrighty!" he said cheerfully, "Hang on to your hat! Cause we are gone!"

He pulled out a stick from nowhere and snapped it over his knee, causing him and Joy to disappear when he did. Back to Joy's Equestria. When they left, Rarity groaned.

"Ugh! He didn't even bother t get a better change of clothing before they left! I hope that the alternate me can fix that, because otherwise I'm going to come over there personally and fix it for him!"

Zach chuckled. "And that's why Dad and I never come to you when things like this happen, Aunt Rarity. You've got too much to worry about already."

* * *

Joy and TD appeared in Ponyville town square. Joy looked around to see his favorite countryside was all messed up now. Ponies were running here and there to save themselves from chocolate cloud rain. Giant pepper shakers were making ponies sneeze again and again. Strange long legged critters were running here and there.

They were in the Chaos Capital of Discord.

"We're back!" Joy said with glee, "Now what?"

"Simple," TD replied, "We find Discord, put a stop to his Mumbo Jumbo, and hopefully find our mysterious helper in the process."

"Oh, that seems... fine to me," Joy replied.

Joy and TD started to walk through the havoc. Suddenly, the sun set, making everything around them dark. Joy was not too surprised to see this. It took him sometime to adjust with the low light, though. In a second, the sun was up again with a sharp blinding flash.

"I'll admit, I almost forgot what this looked like. It's been a while since I watched Season 2 again," TD stated, as he made an ice cream cone appear in his hand and scooped a bit of pink cloud into it. The puffy cloud turned into strawberry ice cream and he gave it a lick.

"Mmm! Still got my touch in manipulating his own Chaos, it seems."

Joy stared at him in disbelief.

"A while since you watched Season 2?" Joy said "You're really weirding me out."

In a while they were crossing a strange looking path. Suddenly they saw Twilight walking towards them, lowering her head. Her color had changed to almost dark grey. It looked like that she almost had lost her spirit.

"Twilight!" Joy gave her a call as she looked towards him, "I'm so glad to see you... where are the others?"

"I don't know!" she snapped, "I don't even care! Just leave me alone!" She walked away in a certain direction without any other word. Joy was shocked at this, but TD looked like he was simply remembering a bad memory.

"Harsh, isn't it?" TD said, a slight hint of sadness in his voice. Even if it wasn't his Twilight, it still hurt him to see her this way, and it was apparent in his eyes. "Sadly, this can't be undone by our hands. I don't know how else to explain it...but we are not allowed to interfere in that matter. Yet."

Just then, a certain earth pony mare with spiral eyes and a propeller cap floated by the two.

"Oh, hi Screwball!" TD called to her. Screwball waved back, clearly recognizing TD, and continued on by.

Joy looked towards 'Screwball'. TD had said hi to her, just as if he knew her.

 _No, it's just that he's the wielder of chaotic magic. Of course he knows things like this. He has been seeing all this for a long time._

* * *

Meanwhile in Canterlot, Celestia was worried sick for her son. She'd sent the guards to search everywhere in Canterlot and the nearby areas, but there was no news of him.

"Your highness!" Suddenly a guard came before Celestia.

Celestia smiled and wiped her tears as she was expecting good news about her son.

"Did you find him?"

"Ah, I'm sorry your highness." He removed his helmet. "Prince Joy is nowhere to be seen, and I doubt..."

"DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD OR I'LL FORGET THAT I'M A PRINCESS!" Celestia shouted, as Luna held her to calm her down.

"Calm down Tia!" Luna ordered,"I know he'll be alright."

The guard was scared.

"Well, your highness! I think we should carry on our search," he said, and left with a few other guards.

"Luna, I told him to stay in his room. I told him not to leave. Why didn't he obey me?"

"It wasn't very wise of him to run of like that. But don't worry we'll..."

Suddenly Luna felt a pain in her head. "Tia, did you feel that?"

"Yeah, it's much stronger than Discord," Celestia said with concern. "I believe it came from Ponyville as well. You don't think..?"

In a while, another guard came into the room.

"Your highness! She's here."

"Let her in," said Luna. In a while, an elegant mare came into the throne room. She was well known to both sisters. A ring on her horn could be seen as well.

"I came here as fast as I could," she said, "I know where Joy is... He's in Ponyville." She said it as if she was well aware of what she was saying. A gasp left Celestia's mouth. Luna looked towards the mare.

"Then we must hurry," Luna stated. "Bring the chariot!"

 **Meanwhile...**

Cadence was in her room reading Twilight's letters about friendship. Her eyes were wet with tears. Some dropped from her eyes, and one or two onto the letter. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind. She picked up all of her letters and start sending them to her one by one, using a magical green flame candle.

"Twilight you can't give up like this. These letters will remind you of who you are..."

* * *

Joy and TD saw a huge hill from far away. That was the thing they were looking for. It was Discord's throne.

 _Even he is very powerful, but at the same time he's so stupid! Even the ponies with the weakest of eyes can see where he is from that high throne._

"There he is, TD," Joy said, "Let's go there."

"Finally!" TD remarked. "I thought I'd never get to speak again! What with all those messages your author just sent about things happening in Canterlot while we're over here, I was starting to worry."

"Seriously?! Author? Messages?" Joy asked, "Are you feeling alright or is all this chaos getting on your mind?"

"Truthfully, sometimes even I don't know the answer to that," TD replied. "Now then, let's go!"

TD reached out as if to grab something, and then started dragging an invisible rope or something. Then, to the surprise of most, Discord's throne and hill got noticeably larger- no, it was now closer! TD continued to do so until it was right at their feet. He then "snapped" his fingers and an escalator appeared. He hopped on the escalator and turned to Joy.

"Well, are you coming or do you want an invitation? Hop on."

Joy was a little scared to see moving staircase in front of him. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. He hopped on the escalator as well along with TD.

"Really! You're even stranger than Discord," Joy chuckled, "I wonder how you didn't mess up your own world."

"That's the thing," TD replied, "Even that other Equestria isn't my world. In my world, magic is rather...restricted. Even Chaos magic. Discord and your Twilight both would hate it there." He chuckled, then got more serious. "Joy, my Chaos is far more dangerous than Discord's could ever be. His is...harmless compared to mine. Mine can devastate an entire countryside, starve a kingdom...even kill if gone unchecked." TD's form changed into his Changeling form as he continued.

"Truthfully, I was no better than Discord back in my Equestria...I was worst. I tried to destroy everything, and would have done so too...if it hadn't been for Twilight."

Joy was surprised to see him like this. He didn't think that TD had a sensitive side to him as well. He put his hand on the TD's shoulder, who was still in his Changeling form.

"I also made mistakes. But I have my mother around to protect me from evil," Joy said, "Don't you have somepony to guide you as well?"

"Twilight mostly," TD answered, his form shifting back to a pony form. "She keeps me in check, comforts me when I'm upset...she gave me so much." TD smiled and sighed. "Ironically, she's not the first love I've had that wasn't of my own species, but she's definitely the greatest. She's also the first one which all three of my personalities have loved together."

"That's good to hear," said Joy chuckling a little, "For me, Bubble was the only mare I loved. To be honest to you, I didn't even know that love was possible for me, until Bubble gave me something special..." He smiled as he mentioned this, "I was so scared when I thought how mother will react to this, but it all came out fine at the end." He chuckled once again, "We're like really best friends, as well as... you know. I feel like Twilight is the same for you."

"She's always been more than just that to me," TD replied, almost as if in a daze. Just then, they found themselves at the top of the hill.

"Well, here's our stop!" TD said happily as he stepped off the escalator. He then suddenly fell through a hole in the ground and a loud thud was heard. TD floated back out of the hole, pulled out a rug and slapped it over the hole. He then stepped onto the rug to prove that it could hold.

"Why does he even have that?" TD asked, "Is he asking for a broken nose?"

Joy didn't paid much attention to this. Something TD said had left him in deep thoughts. The loud thud had knocked him out of his thoughts as he saw TD coming out of the hole. He stepped on the rag along with TD to cross the hole.

"Discord is very near. I can feel this," Joy said.

"I can feel him too," TD said, leaning against a wall that had appeared out of nowhere. He then straightened and said, "Oh wait, I'm actually feeling him!"

As if that wasn't confirmation enough, the wall turned into Discord himself as TD backed away from him.

"Discord!" Said Joy

"Oh, nice to see you again... Joy whatever," Discord said with a evil smile, "I see you brought a friend with you." He looked towards TD. "It'll so much fun to play with two humans at the same time."

TD laughed. "You always were good for a laugh, Discord! I can understand why I like you so much on the show, even as the bad guy!"

Joy looked towards Discord and then towards TD. _Oh dear, this is gonna be intense._

"Oh really, I didn't knew that I've such a fan!" Discord chuckled pulled quill and a notebook, "You can have my autograph then."

TD smirked and Discord suddenly felt a pain go through him, as both quill and notebook both melted in his hands.

"Thank you, but I've got to say 'no'," TD said in mock politeness. "As fun as it is to see Ponyville look like this again, you have to stop. Sorry!"

Joy chuckled. Discord was going to lose and he could see this.

"Discord, you're so screwed now," Joy said, "We're gonna stop you for sure this time."

"Maybe you can stop him," a robotic voice interrupted, "but can you stop him AND me?"

A strange human-like figure materialized from out of nowhere. He was human in design, with glowing green eyes that were locked onto Joy. It seemed that they were doing more than look at him, however. They were monitoring his heartbeat, heat signature, and even his rate of breathing. When TD saw who it was, he gave a smile.

"So, the tin can finally decides to reveal himself," TD said sarcastically as the robotic human approached, "I must admit, you haven't changed much since we last met all those centuries ago."

"Stand down, William," the robot said in a commanding voice, "I must finish what I started concerning the boy." He stared at Joy more intensely when he said this.

This voice was familiar to Joy for some reason. Joy looked towards that thing who was watching him with his glowing eyes.

"It's the same voice," Joy said, "TD, do you know this thing?"

"Sadly, yes," TD replied. "His former master was probably the first threat to existence I ever had to face. Of course, that was before I traveled down the path of villainy. I was much younger then. Long story short, this guy still keeps trying to serve his master, even after death."

"Enough talk!" the robot shouted. "Do you stand down, William?"

The response was a loud "Fus Roh Da!" and the robot was thrown several yards away by a massive shockwave. TD smirked.

"What do you think?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Celestia, Luna, and the unicorn mare had arrived in Ponyville, or more precisely the Chaos Capitol of Discord. They looked down to Ponyville below them. It was nothing like before. Both sisters were really worried about their subjects and their beloved countryside, but right now they were only concerned about Joy and that new chaos entity which they felt a while ago.

"Look what that monster had done to our beautiful town," said Luna and looked towards her concerned sister. "Don't worry Tia, I promise that we'll find him."

Celestia just tried to remain calm while they heard the sobs of that unicorn mare. "Joy, please be alright." She said.

Just then, they heard a loud "Kaboom!" and a hill in the distance let off a huge mushroom cloud. Then, a hysterical laugh was heard from the hill despite the distance away.

 **What had happened...**

"Sand back Joy," TD said to the human as he picked up two wires. The robot charged at TD, who simply said in a calm yet loud voice, "Contact!" and brought the wires together. The wires sparked and a loud explosion engulfed the part of the hill where the "tin can" had been standing. Discord, for some reason, had only watched in awe at the spectacle he witnessed. TD just laughed hysterically.

"Gets them EVERY time!"

 **Back to the Princesses...**

The Princesses looked down at the suspected spot. Just then, another explosion was heard. They signaled the pegasus royal guards who were pulling the chariot to get them closer to the spot. As they went closer, much to their surprise, they saw that Joy was standing there, but he was not alone. They could also see Discord, and there was someone else who was standing along Joy. Celestia was so happy to see her son safe and sound, but also concerned about the safety of her son.

"We must get there fast!" Celestia ordered, "Once we'll get him to safe place, then I'M GONNA..."

* * *

TD only just noticed the Princesses descending as the robot came in for another round. It was then that Discord decided to actually help out. The being of Chaos fired a few rounds into the Terror of Dimensions in the form of golden beams of energy, and the human was reduced to a pile of ashes, much to Joy's surprise.

"Ha!" Discord scoffed, "Who's the master of Chaos now?!"

Just then, an evil laughter filled the air and TD appeared from out of the ground like a plant in human form. He looked at Discord and the robot, who were both surprised that TD was still alive.

"Why, I do believe it's me!"

TD decided to end this fight in style, so he used his magic to conjure up a musical number.

(This is essentially similar to a scene in Aladdin's sequel _Return of Jafar,_ so if you need clarification, look up "You're only second rate" on YouTube)

 **TD:** _I must admit, your parlor tricks are amusing_  
 _I bet you've got a bunny under your hat!_  
 _Now here's your chance to get the best of me_  
 _Hope your hand is hot!_  
 _C'mon, clowns! Let's see what you've got!_

 _You try to slam me with your hardest stuff_  
 _But your double whammy isn't up to snuff_  
 _I'll set the record straight, you're simply out of date_  
 _You're only second rate!_  
 _You think your cat's a meanie, but your tiger's tame_  
 _You've got a lot to learn about the Chaos game_  
 _So for your information, I'll reiterate_  
 _You're only second rate!_

 _Men cower at the power in my pinky_  
 _My thumb is number one on every list_  
 _But if you're not convinced that I'm invincible_  
 _Put me to the test!_  
 _I'd love to lay this rivalry to rest!_

 _Go ahead and zap me with the big surprise_  
 _Snap me in a trap, cut me down to size_  
 _I'll make a big escape, it's just a piece of cake_  
 _You're only second rate!_  
 _You know, your hocus-pocus isn't tough enough_  
 _And your mumbo-jumbo doesn't measure up_  
 _Let me pontificate upon your sorry state_  
 _You're only second rate!_

 _Zaba-caba-dabra!_  
 _Granny's gonna grab ya!_  
 _Alakazam-da-mus_  
 _And this thing's bigger than the both of us!_

 _So spare me your tremendous scare!_  
 _You look horrendous in your underwear!_  
 _And I can hardly wait to discombobulate_  
 _I'll send ya back and packing in a shipping crate_  
 _You'll make a better living with a spinning plate_  
 _You're only second rate!_

At the end of the song, Discord disappeared from view completely, leaving only the robot inside of a glass globe of some kind. The robot quickly broke out of it with his bare fists and charged yet again. TD simply sighed and grabbed him by the throat. The robot struggled but to no avail.

"Your usefulness is over, Scrappy!" TD shouted, as his hand glowed with power. The robot started to disintegrate, but before he was gone for good, he did something unexpected: he laughed.

"Fool! The boy is safe for now, but _you_ are now revealed! All that you love will perish, including your pitiful friends! There's nothing that you can-"

*Kaboom*

Without waiting for the bot to finish, TD utterly destroyed the rest of him in a fiery explosion. He then turned to Joy with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry about that! He was getting on my nerves."

By now, the Princesses had descended from the sky to the spot where Joy was standing along with TD. There was somepony else as well in the chariot. The Princesses came out of chariot and stood in front of Joy and TD. Joy was really scared to see his mother and aunt there.

"Stay away from my son, you foul beast!" Celestia shouted at TD. Then she used her magic to bring Joy behind her wing. "You're grounded for sure young colt." said Celestia, as both sisters looked towards TD. Their horns started to glow.

"State your identity and purpose, we know that you're not an Equestrian," Luna demanded. Both she and Celestia were really angry. Meanwhile that elegant unicorn mare came near to Joy. Joy was feeling really embarressed now.

*slap*

Joy felt the sharp pain across his left cheek and looked down in guilt. Then suddenly, she lifted her face up and pressed her lips against his for a short kiss.

"Are you alright, my sweetie?" the mare asked.

Joy smiled and nodded. "I am now, my dear Bubble."

"Oh sure!" TD stated, clearly not at all intimidated by the Princesses' presence. "I save you guys from someone who could have messed your world up worst than Discord could, and THIS is my thanks?" He sighed and held up his hands. "Take it easy, Celestia, Luna. Especially on Joy. Had he not disobeyed you, your world would have been lost beyond all salvation."

Celestia and Luna looked towards each other and then towards TD, as they didn't believe him. Joy put a hand on his mother's wing as Celestia look towards her son.

"Mom, he sounds a little crazy but he's telling you the truth," Joy said.

Celestia may have been suspicious of this newcomer, but she could tell that her son wasn't lying. She let out a sigh and her horn stopped glowing, along with Luna's as well.

"Glad to see that you're willing to talk," TD said as he used his power to reduce the chaos around them, "Now then, I guess you want answers. Well, in short, I am a reformed villain who goes by the name TD. That's short for the Terror of Dimensions, but you should probably just call me TD. It's more convenient."

Celestia and Luna looked towards each other and then towards TD. No creature was so bold to talk to them with such frankness. Celestia walked near to the creature and said  
"So TD, is it? I on the behalf of whole of Equestria thank you for your favor." She smiled at him.

"My pleasure, Princess," TD replied.

Just then, a colorful blast of light came from somewhere in Ponyville, blinding everyone there for a second. When they were able to see again, they saw that harmony was restored once again. Celestia, and Luna both were so happy to see this.

"It looks like the elements has done their job," Luna said.

"As they should," TD agreed. "I thought that Tin Can's operations might bring about an alternate timeline, but that is not the case it seems. The Season Two episode will continue as planned."

He summoned a bag from nowhere and started munching on whatever was inside. He revealed what it was when he offered some to them.

"Popcorn?"

"No thanks, I'll pass," Celestia replied with a chuckle. "Joy, let's go back to Canterlot, you've so much to explain us."  
As Celestia said this, Joy went towards TD and extended his hand for a handshake.

"I've so many questions to ask, but anyways, it was nice to know somepony else of my kind, even if he's a little crazy."

"Crazy?" TD laughed. "Joy Star, I may be wacko, unorthodox even, but I assure you that I am completely sane. But then again, it's not everyday that you see a human with these crazy powers."

TD suddenly switched to his pony form as a portal appeared behind him. Blood red columns of fire stood on either side of the opening.

"Looks like my ride is here," TD remarked. His draconic eyes may have been intended to be intimidating to all, but somehow Joy could see the kindness that they currently held.

"Goodbye, my friends! Joy, Bubble! With Celestia's permission, you are always welcome to come visit my Equestria! Tally ho!"

Upon the last words, TD jumped upwards and was sucked into the portal in midair. The portal closed behind him, leaving only a stone that had words written on it. It said, _If you want to visit, all you must do is ask._

Joy picked up the stone and read it as Bubble came closer to him.

"Who was that?" Bubble asked, "And when did he come to know my name?"

"Long story," Joy replied, "I'm just so much happy that everything turned out to be fine." He looked towards his mother and aunt but they didn't reply. He sighed.

"I'm sorry mom, aunt Luna."

Celestia came near to Joy and hugged him.

"I forgive you Joy. But," Celestia took a pause, "You're still grounded for a month for using high level spells."

Joy chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her torso. Soon they were joined by Bubble and Luna. After this short and sweet moment, all of them sat on the chariot and it began to ascend in the sky to Joy's hometown.

Canterlot.

* * *

 **Broke my record again for most words!**

 **Big thanks to Admirer Boy for helping make this chapter become a reality! Check out his story, "The Celestial Child" and his other content! I'll see ya next time everypony!**

 **Peace!**

 **Song used: "You're Only Second Rate" from Disney's _Aladdin: The Return of Jafar_**


	29. Without Celestia

**We're gonna keep this thing going, it seems. This time, we ask an age-old question...what if Celestia didn't exist when TD came around to destroy Equestria?**

 **Ok, it's an idea given to me by** ** _retro mania_** **and not an age-old question. But hey, I try my best to please fans.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

TD waltzed into Canterlot with a smile on his face. He was in a rather joyful mood today, and it was apparent to all who saw him go by. Some ponies still glared at him in Canterlot, but only when he wasn't looking.

"Because some ponies, like people, just never learn," TD replied to the sentence above, as a bucket of water appeared above one particular couple's heads and emptied it's contents on them. He chuckled when he heard their screeches.

"Priceless. I wish Twilight was here to see this...Actually, come to think of it, that'd be a bad idea."

TD walked towards the palace of Canterlot and, as expected, was stopped at the doors by a group of guards. However, when they saw the invitation that he held in his hands, they let him by. For TD had been called to Canterlot by Celestia in regards to a matter that she wished to discuss to him personally. TD was a bit flattered at the thought, but he was also worried that something was bothering her. Her letter didn't sound too cheerful. Plus, Pinkie Pie had told him that the letter had recently been in contact with someone who was sad. TD didn't fully understand that, until Pinkie Pie explained that other beings usually left behind traces of their emotions on things they interacted with that Changelings could smell. How that worked was beyond him, but then again there was some stuff that made little sense in Equestria even without his interference.

Finally, he managed to get to the throne room and saw the Princess of the Day herself sitting on the throne in all her glory. Yet, she didn't look so glorious, but rather tired. She didn't show it, but TD could sense her fatigue from the day's work. It was one of the benefits of Chaos magic to sense the situations that others were in. Of course, he had to do this consciously, it wasn't passive. Noticing TD, Celestia seemed to perk up a bit as she sent the last of her questioning subjects away. TD smiled politely, but instead of bowing he simply asked, "Rough day, huh?"

"A little bit," Celestia replied kindly, but TD could tell that she was trying to hold back her stress. She turned to one of her guards.

"Leave us," she ordered. The guards did as they were told, knowing that their Princess was in good hands without them. As soon as the last guard left, Celestia finally broke and she started to crumple to the floor in exhaustion. Thankfully, TD had predicted this and reacted accordingly. An unseen force caught her just before she hit the ground and she beamed a tired, yet thankful smile to him.

"Thanks William," she said, as he caused her to float onto a comfy sofa that he had summoned out of nowhere.

"No problem, Celestia," TD replied. He then said with a smirk, "You look terrible. Do they think that you don't need sleep?"

"Well, most ponies seem to think of me as a goddess," Celestia chuckled. By now, TD had used his chaos to turn the room into a rather comfortable lounge room and was sitting in an armchair just across from her. He summoned a bag of popcorn in his hands and started munching away.

"Goddess my boot!" TD remarked, "Popcorn?" Celestia nodded and a second bag appeared next to her. "If you're a goddess, then I'm Morgan Freeman. Am I black and do I have a deep voice? No? Just as I thought."

Celestia giggled. "You really know how to lighten the mood a bit after a long day."

"It's what I do," TD said, for some reason deciding to switch to his Changeling form. He summoned a notebook and a quill. A pair of glasses was on his face.

"Now then, tell me what's bothering you."

"Well..."

Celestia poured out all kinds of complaints to TD, at first being hesitant but growing more open as she continued. TD patiently listened through the whole thing, even though some of the complaints were already known to him. After all, he had watched the Season 7 episode where Starlight switched Celestia and Luna's Cutie Marks, and had also heard about it personally from Starlight and Twilight both when it had occurred sometime after the Season 6 finale. When Celestia was finished, he put down the notebook. He hadn't actually written anything down that had to do with her plight; instead, he had drawn some tic-tac-toe figures, a terrible stick figure drawing of a Christmas party, and a perfect picture of Peter Griffin's face. The last one he had cheated on, because he couldn't actually make a good picture without using his magic.

"So, basically, life is being a pain right now," he summed up.

"You have no idea," Celestia replied, "It makes me wish that I wasn't around at times."

As soon as Celestia said this, alarm bells suddenly started ringing from out of nowhere and the wall near the door got chopped through with two axes. A Minion rushed in with a firefighter hat, followed by one with a hose, and a third with a megaphone and siren lights on his head. He actually used the door and walked slowly towards them saying, "Beedo! Beedo!" over and over again. The Minions proceeded to replay the scene from Despicable Me 2 regarding their roles, which made TD laugh aloud from the stupidity of the Minions. He waited until the point where only the megaphone Minion was left before personally shooting him with the fire extinguisher, reversing the damage done, and causing the enigmatic creatures to disappear. He then looked to Celestia with a serious expression.

"I know what you're proposing, and I'd advise against it. Besides, I'm not a genie! I don't just go around granting wishes all willy nilly!"

"Please, William," Celestia pleaded, "I don't know if I can take another complaint today!"

TD sighed, but then an idea came to him and he smiled.

"Tell you what," he said, "I will show you an alternate timeline in which you do not exist. After seeing what happens, you can choose whether you still want to keep your wish or change your mind. Deal?"

"Deal," Celestia said.

"Alright then, let's do this!"

A cauldron appeared in front of TD, who switched back to his human form and started chanting something in the Ancient Dragon tongue. The room soon grew fuzzy, then everything changed...

* * *

"Why is it so dark?" Celestia asked as soon as she could see again.

"It's night time," TD answered, "and always has been for more than one hundred years."

"What?" Celestia was confused. TD sighed and snapped his fingers. They found themselves outside a familiar castle in the Everfree Forest. The old castle where Luna had first turned into Nightmare Moon.

"Only this time, she stayed that way," TD replied, as if reading from the story itself. Celestia turned to him as he led her inside. "Without you around, there was no one to banish her to the moon, so she conquered all of Equestria and her allies unopposed. The Elements of Harmony were never found, for Luna kept them well hidden from the rest of her subjects. As such, none dared to challenge her and Equestria was forever bathed in night."

By now, TD had gotten to the throne room of the castle, and two guards noticed them. They came forward to reveal themselves as Rainbow Dash and Rarity, only they seemed much...darker than Celestia remembered them.

"Who dares enter the castle of Nightmare Moon?" Rarity demanded. TD held up his hands.

"Relax, my dear. You needn't worry about us. We're just-"

"Hold!" a painfully familiar voice ordered. The guards stood aside as the evil Queen of the Night approached them. Celestia was grief ridden to see the demon again, but TD simply sighed as if this was an unpleasant expectation.

"Who are you?" Nightmare Moon demanded.

TD smiled and said, "I don't know how else to explain this, Your Majesty, but we have not come to harm you or anything else that concerns you. We are not even of this world. We are simply here to observe, and nothing more."

"Speak clearly, beast, before I tear that forked tongue out of your body!" Nightmare Moon shouted. TD sighed and snapped his fingers. Nightmare Moon's eyes and the eyes of everyone else in the castle turned white, then returned to normal. Nightmare Moon straightened and said, "I see. Well, then don't go beyond that, or there will be consequences."

"Of course," TD replied, clearly not intimidated at all by the demon. As Nightmare Moon left, Celestia turned to the human.

"I see," she said gravely. She didn't bother to ask what TD had done that changed Nightmare Moon's mind. "I was a fool to think that I wasn't that important. I didn't realize how important I am to Equestria and it got to me in the worst way."

"But you're far more important than you realize even then," TD replied.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"TD winced. "I hate this part, but it's time for me to enter the picture."

He snapped his fingers again, and the scenery changed again. This time, they were in Ponyville, but not as Celestia remembered it even with the eternal night. This time, all was in chaos. Literally. Celestia recognized it as the same chaos TD had caused almost thirteen years ago, before his feelings for Twilight had been confessed.

"What happened?" Celestia asked. TD sighed sadly before speaking.

"Nightmare Moon is indeed strong, but even she was no match for the power of the Terror of Dimensions. When he arrived in Equestria, he quickly subdued the resistance that opposed him. Nightmare Moon and all who followed her, as well as those who didn't...perished. As for what the future holds..."

TD started to sing as they looked across the landscape.

 _I see chaos from land to sea_  
 _I see days neither fun nor free_  
 _I see a future caused by me_  
 _I see a path not meant to be_

 _The future should be filled with magic_  
 _Dreams and wishes brought to life_  
 _But the days ahead are dark and tragic_  
 _No time for hope when all is strife_

 _Whatever might have been_  
 _All the dreams that ponies share_  
 _Without your help, my friend,_  
 _Now the future is a dark nightmare_!

Celestia looked around in sadness and horror at what she saw, while TD seemed to be ridden with guilt. As they watched, a pony and an unreformed Changeling ran across the landscape, fleeing from a dark spirit-like figure. No one needed to guess who it was, for it was all too obvious. The figure fired a blast of red lightning from its form and the two equine figures were reduced to ashes. TD looked to Celestia to see that she had looked away before the blast had connected. Tears streamed from her eyes as she looked at him.

"You see," TD said, "Twilight may have changed my heart, but without you, the life we live wouldn't have been possible. Much like a play, we all have a part to play in our future, Tia. Some of us have a more important role than others. But it only works out in the end if all of us perform our part. If even one of us is out of line..."

He stopped, knowing that the message had gotten across. Celestia smiled at him as he wiped away a few more tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, William," she said, "As horrible as it may have been to see this...it was what I needed. I allowed myself to fall into a slum, but now I feel better about my role as Princess."

"No problem, Tia," TD said. "Now, let's get back to our world, shall we?"

TD pulled out a smoke bomb and tossed it at their feet. When the smoke cleared, they were gone.

* * *

Back in the palace, Celestia was just getting ready to turn in for the night. She was just starting to leave the throne room, when she noticed a pair of glowing eyes in the shadows of the now darkened interior.

"Is something wrong, William?" she asked the human.

TD chuckled. "Only a thought that came to me. I've always been curious about events that occur because of a different change in the past, and I have been wondering what would change if I made different decisions upon arriving here in Equestria. Your adventure with me today has made me want to try out something. I think that I'll make it a story separate from this one."

Celestia smiled. "I think that's a good idea, and I hope that your fans love it as much as this story."

TD looked at Celestia and laughed. "You are strange in your own right, Celestia. I'm still wondering if you're capable of Fourth Wall breaking. But maybe it's best to leave that a mystery. See ya!"

TD disappeared in a burst of flames and Celestia let out a laugh.

"You'd be surprised, my human friend," she said aloud as she turned to those reading this story and gave a wink. She then continued to her bedroom for a good night's sleep, while far away in the Thunder Empire her sister was waking to guard the night...

* * *

 **So, short chapter, but there you go!**

 **Thanks again _retro mania_ for the idea! Favorite, review, and I'll see ya next time!**

 **Peace out, pony fans!**

 **Edit: Song used is an adapted version of "Luna's Future" from the MLP Hearthswarming episode starring Starlight as Snowfall Frost.**


	30. Pinkie Pie's Hive

**Moving onwards is not easy, but it's worth the trouble if you can manage.**

 **"Just keep writing! Just keep writing! Just keep writing, writing, writing..."**

 **I'm gonna let you guys go before he makes me go insane with that song.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

TD had seen another vision, hence the reason he was awake in the middle of the night again. He was starting to lose his patience with these visions as they always seemed to be teasing him, warning him, but of what? Everyone he could think of that was threatening him was either dead or had been made into his ally a long time ago. The only one he could think of was... TD shook his head. Impossible. He was dead. He couldn't be alive. Could he?

TD sighed and looked to Twilight, who had woken up with him this time and was leaning against his chest. He had stayed in his human form for once, but that did little to comfort him. So what if he was human? Any form really would do in this world. But if that's the form he stayed in for now, then he'd keep it tonight. Twilight nuzzled up against TD, breaking through his thoughts. He looked down at her form and smiled.

"You make it impossible for me to think of anything else honestly," he said to her kindly.

"Is that a bad thing?" the alicorn asked him.

"No, it's not. If anything, I'm glad that you have that effect on me. It calms my nerves, comforts my troubled thoughts...and I can't deny that I enjoy your company more than anything I can think of."

Twilight smiled and gave him another nuzzling, causing his darker side to make his purr-like growling. She chuckled a little when he did that, then asked him a question that she had been wanting to ask for awhile now.

"William, did you ever have someone else in your life...before me?"

"What do you mean?" TD asked, with curiosity in his voice.

"Did you ever love someone else, or have a family other than the one back on Earth?"

TD let out a sigh. "Yes. If you must know, I've had several other relationships before you. Even had a family with one or two of them. But it didn't end well for most of them. I believe that only one of them parted with me on good terms."

"What happened to them?"

"The majority of them passed away, or were killed. The one...gosh, it's been so long, I can't even remember her name. She...broke up with me to save her world from...well, me. She managed to at least get me to respect her strength enough to promise never to harm her world ever again. We parted ways on good terms, but I doubt that she's still alive. Her kind doesn't have long life spans, even compared to humans." He sighed again before continuing. "I'm not one for having multiple wives or anything like that. I've always found that it doesn't work too well and I never did want any of them to be jealous. Plus, I don't swing that way. So to avoid any of that, I always made sure that the one relationship had officially ended before I tried again. Sadly, for two of them...I- I ended it personally, and not in the best of ways."

Twilight nodded gravely, not needing any details to explain what he may have done to them.

"Oh William," she said sympathetically, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks Twi," TD replied. He then looked her in the eyes, noting how they sparkled beautifully in what little light was in the room. One of his hands stroked her mane and she shuddered slightly under his touch.

"Twilight," he whispered, "You are not my first love who wasn't my species, but you definitely are my greatest. You are also the only love which all three of my personalities have loved together, including my darker side. No words I know of can describe how much I love you, and even if I could find the right words, it still probably wouldn't be enough. I know it's a bit cheesy, but it's true."

Twilight spread her wings over him and whispered, "It's good enough. I feel the same way about you, so I probably wouldn't have been any better in explaining."

TD smiled and gave her a kiss, his hand continuing to stroke her mane. Twilight returned the caresses with her wings, and a slight sigh escaped her while they kissed. TD pulled away from the kiss and gave her cheek a soft caress. He then asked, "I've been wondering something, but I decided to ask you first; is it true that you ponies here don't like it when someone boops your nose?"

"What do you mean by that?"

TD's response was to bring his finger to her nose, give it a quick tap and say, "Boop!" Twilight giggled a bit.

"Well, I personally think it's cute when you do it to me. But, I can't speak for anypony else."

"Fair enough," TD replied. "So to be safe, only do it to you unless I purposely want to tick someone off."

TD pulled Twilight closer to him and the two soon drifted back to sleep, enjoying each other's company as the night carried on.

* * *

 **Almost forty years ago...**

A dark figure rushed through the open fields, desperately hoping to shake off it's pursuers, which could be heard in the distance as a series of buzzing. The moon came out from behind some clouds, revealing the figure to be a female Changeling, but it was different from most other Changelings. While it did have a black outer shell with holes in its wings and legs, it had a long purple mane and its wings were the same color as it's mane. The mane was also full of holes, and the eyes of this Changeling were not like the eyes of Chrysalis's Changelings, but instead looked much like a pony's eyes. For this was of a different species of Changeling, and it was currently running from its own kind.

This Changeling in particular was a monarch, as signified by its large horn and its alicorn size. It looked this way and that, looking for a hiding spot. To its right, nothing could be seen but more fields. To the left, a house could be seen in the distance, the lights were turned off and all seemed quiet. The Changeling monarch rushed over to the house and hid in the shadows it created. A buzzing sound passed by her as a Changeling swarm passed her by. The monarch sighed and brought out something that she had been carrying: a Changeling pupa that was close to breaking from its shell. The monarch set the pupa down in a safe location just a little ways off from the house and laid a kiss on where its forehead would be.

"Sleep well, my little princess," the monarch whispered gently, like a mother to her child. She stood to her full height and started to walk away, but stopped when she heard a particular buzzing noise. She took a defensive stance, as an all-too familiar figure landed in front of her. The Queen of the Changelings that pursued her.

"Chrysalis," the monarch snarled.

"My dear Cocoon," Chrysalis said with an evil smile, speaking in mock hurt, "Why must you make this drag on?"

"You know perfectly well why I run from you and your children!" Cocoon hissed, shifting her position to secretly hide the location of the Changeling that she had hidden away. Chrysalis didn't notice thankfully, and started circling her prey, relishing in her victory.

"All I ask is for you to join me in my conquest of Equestria," Chrysalis stated. "Is that too hard to ask? And who knows? I'm very influential among the other Changelings. I might still be able to work something out between you and your hive-"

"Arrogance is not fitting for a fool, Chrysalis!" Cocoon interrupted in anger, "Much less is lying fitting for a Changeling Queen! My children and I will NEVER bow to you!"

Chrysalis snarled in rage and her horn clashed with Cocoon's.

"Then perhaps this foolish Changeling Queen can arrange for the death of your children's monarch tonight!"

The two separated and Chrysalis fired a burst of magic from her horn. Cocoon blocked the attack and countered with one of her own. The two kept firing back at each other, occasionally rushing at each other and striking with their hooves or stabbing with their horns. After a while, Cocoon started to show signs of fatigue. Chrysalis was the stronger of the two, and she knew it. She just needed to keep her away until the baby could be safe. Seeing an opportunity, Chrysalis stabbed her horn into Cocoon, who couldn't defend herself fast enough. As Cocoon gasped in pain, Chrysalis laughed.

"How does it feel to die?" Chrysalis asked with a sneer.

"N- not die," Cocoon sputtered, "Sacrifice..."

With all her remaining strength, she fired a blast into Chrysalis that sent her flying several yards away. Wounded and in great pain, Chrysalis staggered away as a swarm of Changelings gathered around her. She barked an order at them, and the swarm carried her away and into the night. Cocoon sighed in relief and collapsed on the ground. She knew that her life was ebbing away, but she didn't care. Her child was safe, and that's all she cared about.

Just then, the door to the house opened and an earth pony stallion peered out into the darkness. Igneous Rock Pie had heard a commotion outside and had decided to check it out. Cocoon couldn't let him see her, but maybe she could do one last thing for her child. She knew Igneous, dull sounding as he was, had a good heart. He wouldn't turn her child away. But she needed to catch his attention. Summoning a last burst of strength, Cocoon rushed past Igneous and into the shadows, just managing to get him to catch her in the corner of his vision. He took some steps forward as a child's crying could be heard. Even though she had heard that sound many times in her years as a Queen, Cocoon's heart melted with love at the sound of her child's cries. It meant that she was alive and healthy. She watched as Igneous looked at the child and let out a gasp. A small smile came across her lips as her senses dimmed. The last she saw was of Igneous carrying her child back towards the house.

"Take care of her..." She managed weakly, too quiet for anyone to hear. She then dropped to the ground and breathed her last.

 **Back to Present...**

Pinkie Pie sat up in bed covered in a cold sweat. The dream she had left her in a confused and somewhat traumatized state of mind, something she didn't normally experience. It confused her as to why she had been given such a dream, but she knew what it was about.

Her family. Her Changeling family. She had been left at the Pie family's rock farm because her family had been in trouble and wanted to save her from the carnage that followed. But something still bugged her (no pun intended).

"What if they're still out there, looking for me?" she wondered. Just then, she heard movement on the bed next to her and she turned to see Chuck turning over in his sleep. She only just then realized that her disguise had fallen away in her sleep. Not that it mattered; Chuck had seen her in both forms before and he didn't care that she was a Changeling. Also, by now, every pony in Equestria knew for better or worse that the Element of Laughter was a Changeling. But what bothered her was the fact that her form had dropped away at all in her sleep. Normally, she didn't even need to think to keep the disguise up, so even when asleep she didn't need to worry about the disguise falling off. The fact that it had fallen away during her sleep was a bit unsettling for her. But then again, she had never had these dreams of her past before. Because of the dreams, she was determined to find her family. But she couldn't do it alone... Pinkie Pie thought about it for a second, then came to a decision. Tomorrow, she would ask TD to help her find her Changeling family. Pinkie Pie smiled contently and snuggled up closer to Chuck. She soon fell asleep again, this time not bothering to put the disguise back up.

* * *

"So, let me run through this one more time so I know that I'm hearing this correctly," TD said to Pinkie Pie after she spilled the beans to him, "You think that your particular Changeling hive could still be alive and you want me to help you out with finding it?"

"Please!" Pinkie Pie pleaded, "I need to know! I always have wondered if I'm the last of my species and I want to know if my hive is still around! Pleasepleasepleaseplease?!"

TD sighed in defeat and looked to Pinkie Pie.

"Alright, I'll go. But first, we're going to be bringing some others with us as well. You can never be too careful, ya know?"

"Thank you!" she shouted, giving the human a tight hug. TD smiled and returned it, as he felt a surge of energy leave his body and enter her own. He chuckled, as that was the reason why he had first discovered that she was a Changeling. It wouldn't hurt him, for all she was doing was absorbing the emotions given off by him, but it had been a shocker the first time. This time, however, it didn't bother him. For he knew that so long as he was giving her these emotions willingly, no harm could or would come to him. They pulled away and Pinkie looked into his eyes with curiosity.

"Who's coming with us?" Pinkie Pie asked. TD smiled.

"You like clones of others, don't you?"

* * *

"I hope that I didn't call you at such a bad time," TD said to the earth pony stallion and pegasus mare as they walked towards Chuck's Tavern where they had planned to meet. The earth pony smiled.

"Don't worry TD," Fragment Soul said, "You are fine. We think that this is very important to Pinkie Pie and we want to help her find her family."

"No offense Fragment," TD stated, "but it's a bit confusing for me when you talk like that while Kindred Spirit is around you. It makes me wonder which 'we' you are referring to."

Kindred Spirit giggled. "It can be a little confusing for most, but we don't care too much. Although, if you wish to know, I've been helping him work on speaking outside the plural sense when he refers to himself."

"It's true," Fragment agreed, "We are improving, but don't expect a miracle overnight."

"I rarely expect things like that to happen truthfully," TD said as they entered the tavern, "Chances are very low that such a thing will happen. But if they do happen, they are always welcomed."

TD looked around the tavern and noticed that Quibble was running the bar.

"Hey Quibble, where's Chuck?" TD asked.

"I'm here!" a voice called in the back.

"Hey, has Pinkie explained to you what's happening?"

"Told me what?" Chuck asked, as he came out from the back. He was wearing an apron.

TD sighed. "Long story short, she thinks that her hive where she originated from may still be around, and she wants to find them. I figured I'd tell you and invite you to come, for obvious reasons."

Fragment Soul chuckled. "We enjoy Pinkie Pie too, but she can be extremely persuasive if need be. Sometimes, not in good ways."

Chuck arched his eyebrow. "Well, I suppose a little adventure wouldn't hurt." He said. "Count me in." He said as he got up from his office chair and undid his apron.

"Excellent!" TD replied, "though I'm glad that you complied willingly, otherwise Pinkie probably would've forced you to come." He turned to Quibble. "What about you?"

"Pass," he grumbled, "besides, I need to watch the bar."

"Says the Daring Do fan willing to chase her down despite the danger," TD muttered.

"Let me rephrase that for him. I need somepony to watch the bar." Chuck excused his employee.

"Fine. But I still can't help but feel that this is just a convenient excuse for him to avoid me," TD said. He then smirked as he looked down at a watch on his arm. "And the Pinkie train should be arriving any minute now. Three, two, one..."

"Chuckie!" a voice shouted from outside.

"Right on time," TD chuckled. "Wow, you'd think that I'm the one writing this story with that timing."

"Hello my darling." Chuck grinned in a baritone Dean Martin-esque voice. "Care to tell me why you didn't tell me about this?" He asked.

"Oh, sorry!" Pinkie apologized as she bounced into the bar. Her disguise wasn't up, which probably was fitting for the journey ahead. "I was so busy saying goodbye to everypony that I completely forgot to tell you earlier!"

TD chuckled. "Been there before."

"Its fine." Chuck said, "So when are we going on this little expedition?"

"Oh, I thought we were leaving today," TD said, "I even packed all the essentials. Food, water, sleeping bags, tents, dehydrated pocketknife, Mad Magazines..."

"I get it." Chuck cut him off.

"Dehydrated pocketknife?" Kindred Spirit raised an eyebrow at TD to ask if he was kidding. He wasn't.

"Even we think that's a useless tool," Fragment Soul stated.

"It's not useless," Pinkie Pie piped up, "You just add water to it and- oh. Yeah, now that I think about it, it does sound bad out loud."

"I'm not even sure how that would work, and frankly, I don't really want to." Chuck said. "Let's just hit the road."

"Okie doki!" TD said with a cheerful demeanor. "First stop, the Pie family Rock Farm!" His voice turned into a more serious tone as he gave a few disclaimers and warnings. While he did so, everyone found themselves strapped into some kind of roller coaster cars with TD at the front with a mic.

"Remember, there are no refunds. TD is not responsible for the actions of the company. If any of you have weak constitutions or bad ties with the Pie family... too bad! Please remain seated! Keep your arms and legs in at all times!"

"Oh goody." Chuck remarked.

"Don't worry about it! They like you now!" Pinkie giggled.

The karts suddenly launched high in the air, moving at insane speeds as if on an actual roller coaster. The only problem: there were no rails that they were moving on. TD apparently thought this was fun, as he completely ignored his previous warnings and put his hands in the air. His image changed into Kronk from _The Emperor's New Groove_ and the image of Yzma appeared next to him as well.

"Faster! Faster! Yzma, put your hands in the air! Wahoo!"

Meamwhile, Fragment Soul had cloned himself at least three times in fear and his clones now occupied some of the vacant seats. Kindred Spirit was surprisingly calm and hugged him tightly in an attempt to calm him down. It worked for the original, but not for the clones, who didn't have her sitting next to them. Pinkie Pie was also having fun it seemed, but as for Chuck...

"I'm gonna be sick, I'm gonna be sick!" He groaned.

Finally, the karts stopped and they found themselves near the Pie family's house. They had apparently traveled so fast that it had all been a blur and they hadn't noticed where they were.

"Thank you for flying with us," TD said in a friendly voice, his form returning to normal and "Yzma" disappearing. "Please enjoy the rest of your day. Oh, and for those who are feeling sick, bottomless barf bags are included."

Fragment Soul's clones disappeared and he walked over to TD and said in a trembling voice, "NEVER do that again!"

"No promises," TD replied with a chuckle.

"That was awesome!" Pinkie Pie shouted, flapping her insect wings excitedly, "Let's do it again!"

"I'm with Fragment. I'll be content if I never have to go through that again," Chuck muttered dizzily.

"Again, no promises."

TD looked around and noticed that the Pies, if they had noticed their presence, had decided not to show. They were definitely around, he could sense that much; but they were in hiding. Perhaps because they had yet to see his powers in action. TD chuckled and snapped his fingers, causing the karts to disappear.

"Okay then," TD looked to Pinkie, "Can you tell me where your dream took place in this location? It'll help me immensely."

Pinkie nodded and trotted towards the spot where Igneous had discovered her as a baby Changeling, the rest of the group following close behind.

"We're basing this off a dream?" Chuck asked skeptically.

"This wouldn't be the first time, Chuck," TD said aloud. "So unless you have a better option..."

Pinkie Pie soon stopped and looked at a specific location on the ground. TD peered at it, then cast a spell that made ghostly images appear in the area. In the spot that Pinkie Pie was looking at, a small baby version of herself in Changeling form could be seen. In the distance behind her, two larger figures could be seen fighting each other with hoof, horn, and magic. TD grimaced and his fists tightened, for he recognized one of the figures.

"Chrysalis," he muttered, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Whoa whoa, hold on. Nobody said anything about Chrysalis." Chuck said nervously.

"Chuck, I just cast a spell that lets us see exactly what happened in the past, including who was involved. And I may not have seen her for five plus years, but I could spot that face a mile away. It's DEFINITELY Chrysalis!" TD was honestly looking as if he would explode, in a literal sense. But he calmed down when he took a closer look at the other monarch as the ghostly images continued to fight.

"The other one is definitely of Pinkie's species. Her mane and wings are the same color of purple, her eyes look similar to pony eyes, and if she changed her black color she could easily pass for an alicorn. Or a very large mare."

"Well, then... where are her species now?" Chuck asked the group before turning to Pinkie. "Is there anything else you can remember?" He asked her.

"No," she replied sadly. But then suddenly, her curved horn started to glow and she started jiggling around as if her Pinkie Sense was tingling.

"Oh this ought to be good," TD said, pulling a bag of popcorn out of nowhere. He munched on it as he watched.

"I've got a feeling we're about to find out a little more." Chuck remarked.

Pinkie stopped tingling and slowly approached the area where the ghostly Changeling monarchs had been fighting. Only one was present now, the one whom TD didn't recognize. Seeing what Pinkie Pie was doing, TD canceled the spell's affects over near where Baby Pinkie Pie had been and expanded its influence over where Pinkie was standing now. As they watched, Pinkie stopped near the now lifeless body of the Changeling monarch and seemed to be smelling something. She then said, "I smell something. It's sweet, but it also seems to be telling me something..."

As they watched, a small swarm of ghostly Changelings, about five or six, approached the monarch. They each had different colored wings and manes that could be seen and their eyes were like pony eyes, but true to the Changeling appearance, their manes and wings were still full of holes. Four carried off the monarch while the other two spat something on the ground where she had laid, before flying off into the wilderness. The spell ended about then, but Pinkie's interest had yet to fade.

"Well, that helped, but I think there's a lot more to this mystery than we still know, and unlike the Scooby Doo gang, I have a feeling we're dealing with more than a crook in a costume." Chuck remarked.

"The...who?" Kindred Spirit asked in confusion.

"We have learned to just roll with it," Fragment Soul answered her, clearly not understanding either but not bothering to question it either.

"That's all you can do with folks like me and Chuck," TD replied. "Oh, and Pinkie Pie. On that note, Pinkie what are getting?"

Pinkie Pie squinted hard at the ground where the Changelings from the past had spat, then did something unexpected. Her tongue came out and she gave the ground a long lick with her snake-like tongue.

"I hope that Changelings have strong immunity systems," TD said aloud, "Otherwise we may a sick Party Pony on our hands."

"Oh... no," Chuck remarked. "Hon, don't just lick stuff. Did that once when I was younger, bad move. Ended up hospitalized for a good two months... well, not really a GOOD two months..." Chuck began to ramble on, earning impatient looks from the others.

"Chuck, we get it," Fragment intervened, "And I mean all of us."

"Thanks for clarifying," TD said, before turning to Pinkie Pie. Her face had gotten a look as if she had just tasted something so wonderful her brain wasn't able to properly register it.

"That was tasty!" she said, "So that's why this spot always smelled strange as a filly."

"Why exactly?" Chuck asked.

"Wait a minute," TD said coming closer, "Pinkie, do you have some I can have? I think I'm on to something..."

Pinkie nodded and showed him the spot on the ground where she had found her mysterious substance. TD dragged his finger across it, then licked his finger. He immediately spat in disgust, but at the same time he was smiling.

"I was right!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Kindred Spirit and Fragment both asked.

"I'm sorry, is _everyone_ licking the goo now?" Chuck asked flatly.

"No, thankfully," TD remarked. "Only Pinkie would find it's flavor satisfying. If what I think is true, that's a chemical left behind by her hive to help her and others of her kind find their way back to the hive."

"How's that work?" Fragment asked.

"Insects that live in groups or colonies, like ants for example, leave behind special scents or chemicals that others in their colony can pick up. They use these chemicals to find their way back to the hive or colony. I'm willing to bet that the Changelings that were here did the same thing in the hopes that Pinkie Pie could find her way back if desired."

"Brilliant deduction," Chuck remarked. For the first time today, he was not being sarcastic. "So, I guess, Pinkie, care to lead the way?"

"Ayee eeye, Captian!" Pinkie replied dramatically, giving Chuck a salute, as well as a playful wink. TD chuckled at the last one.

"Okay, you lovebirds," he said with another chuckle, "Let's get this show on the road!"

And with that, they headed off into the wilderness, following Pinkie Pie as she led them towards the unknown.

* * *

All day long, the group followed the trail that Pinkie Pie was detecting through the seemingly barren wilderness. As night fell, TD set up camp for the group. Although, "camp" was an understatement. In truth, it was more like a hotel suite or some other luxury resort thanks to TD's magic.

"No one said that we couldn't go adventuring in style, did they?" TD remarked as he put some finishing touches on the self-lighting campfire. At least he managed to keep one thing true to the camping theme.

"Ain't that the truth. Marshmallow anyone? I know how to cook 'em perfectly!" Chuck offered as he impaled a marshmallow with a stick.

"Two over here," Kindred Spirit called, leaning against Fragment Soul with a hoof around him.

"Why didn't I ask Twilight to come with us?" TD wondered aloud as he summoned a smore in his hands. Then, he got a look of remembrance.

"Oh...that's why. Forget I said anything."

"Why's that?" Chuck asked. "Oh! Perfect golden brown, here you go you two." He said as he plucked the two marshmallows off the stick and gave them to Kindred and Fragment.

"I believe it had something to do with some more pressing matters that Celestia preferred to be taken care of rather quickly. Plus, she has been working on a spell with Starlight," TD explained. He started to try and eat the smore, but then it suddenly grew four spider-like legs, hopped down from his grasp and shouted in a high voice, "So long, suckers!" It then ran off into the night.

"Why would you put an Ice Age reference up, right when I'm about to eat that?!" TD demanded.

"Who are you talking to?" Fragment inquired.

"It doesn't matter," TD said as he glared at where the screen would be for those reading this, "I don't think he's listening anyways."

"Ah, I see." Chuck nodded. "So, anyone up for..." He stopped. "It's been so long since I've interacted with a group that I kinda forget how to finish that."

"You are a very sad pony," Fragment Soul remarked.

"To be fair, I'm in the same boat more or less," TD said, coming to his rescue. "Also, just because he doesn't know how to interact with others doesn't necessarily make him sad. Last I checked, he's got quite a life for him. Nice kids, good paying job- except for when Cheese does something too over the top- and probably one of the most beautiful creatures in Equestria to love him. Don't tell Twi I said that last part, or she'll probably take it the wrong way."

"Nice kids... oh no." Chuck's eyes widened. "Pinkie, we have a sitter for tonight and possibly for how long this takes, right?" He asked.

"Uh..." Pinkie also seemed to be scared. Seeing this, TD let out a loud laugh.

"Don't worry!" he said reassuringly, "I talked to Zach before heading out, and he's agreed to watch them while we're gone. Diana is also coming along as well. Trust me, even if they themselves are kids, your children are much safer with my own than if Celestia had the entire Royal Guard to watch the place."

"I can think of worse options," Chuck nodded approvingly.

"He can, he really can," Pinkie nodded. "Show them the list hon."

"You made a list?" Kindred Spirit asked with amazement.

"Oh trust me, this is just them on a good day," TD said with a giggle, "You should see them when they're in the middle of a crisis."

"Let's not go there please," Fragment pleaded. Kindred Spirit snuggled up closer to him, and he smiled warmly at her. The two had been dating each other barely a year or two after their reunion with each other, and already TD could predict wedding bells in their future.

"Because why else would I pair them up in this?" TD asked the readers of this story.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Fragment inquired.

"Trust me, I'm perfectly sane," TD countered. The earth pony didn't seem convinced, especially when TD immediately pulled out a shotgun and rushed into his luxurious cabin nearby shouting, "There's a rabbit in the house!"

"And that is why he's number four on my list." Chuck remarked, earning a swift nudge in the ribs from Pinkie.

TD came back out and said, "Well, it's been awhile since I used a _Markiplier_ reference."

He started to sit back down, but then stopped and looked around him. Pinkie Pie also seemed to have detected something and held Chuck more closely to her.

"What's going on?" Chuck asked. "Is it a bear?"

"Bears aren't nearly as small. Or stealthy," TD muttered. He looked around cautiously. Kindred Spirit looked scared, but Fragment Soul immediately stood his feet and summoned some clones around him. One of the clones looked to TD and said, "We'll check it out."

"Good idea, considering that you can afford to do that," TD replied. "But again, it's kinda confusing when you talk like that."

The clone just rolled his eyes and walked off into the darkness. He had barely been gone for a few seconds, before Fragment said, "The clone's down. Whatever it is, it's not alone."

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie tingled a bit. Without a warning she pushed Chuck to the side as a black figure dove at where he had last been standing. TD reacted just as quickly with a loud, "Fus Roh Dah!" The figure went flying, but was caught in midair by another one just like it. However, by doing so, it revealed what they were.

"Changelings?" TD remarked. "Please be the ones we're looking for!"

"Here's to hoping they are, or I just ate a mouthful of dirt and grass for no good reason." Chuck spat out the dirt in his mouth.

TD placed a shield around the group, but soon found that it was unnecessary. The Changelings soon revealed themselves, around ten of them, being scolded by one in armor. Much like Pinkie Pie, their eyes were like pony eyes, they had colored manes, and their wings were the same color of their manes. Their wings and manes both were full of holes just like their legs, but if given a different color scheme they could easily pass for ponies. The Changeling in armor smacked one of the soldiers nearby as if he was a disobedient child.

"You fools!" he scolded, "One of our is among them! Stand down!"

"Looks like we've found them." Chuck remarked. "Who are you?" he asked, addressing the armored Changeling. The armored Changeling gave a friendly smile.

"I am General Hornet. I am the leader of this hive...or what's left of it." He then scrutinized the group. "Well, I have heard the stories, but I never thought that I'd see the Terror of Dimensions himself with my own eyes."

"Please, just call me TD," TD said as he lowered the shield, "It's more convenient for us both."

"I'm honored to be in your presence, or at least I would be if I knew who you were beforehoof," Chuck said flatly.

Hornet just nodded, as if he understood. Then in a more formal tone, he asked, "May I ask, which one of you is of our kind?"

TD was at first confused, but then realized why the Changelings were puzzled when he looked to Pinkie Pie. She was her pink color, which meant...

"Pinkie, your disguise," TD stated. Pinkie's face lit up in realization, and with a burst of pink flames, her disguise fell off and her Changeling features were revealed. The Changelings around them gasped and Hornet squinted at her, then shook his head in disbelief.

"Princess Pill Bug?" he asked, "Is it really you?"

"Pill Bug?" The others exchanged looks.

"Princess?" Pinkie asked.

Hornet nodded again. "Our Queen, Cocoon...she hid away her only heir to protect her from the wrath of Queen Chrysalis, a monarch to a rivaling hive. She left you at the farm of an old friend of hers: Igneous Pie. Perhaps you know him?"

"A little too well in the case of Chuck," TD said with a chuckle.

Hornet noticed the darkness around them and asked, "May we stay here for the night? We'd take you to the hive, but it's very...unwelcoming after dark."

"The more the merrier!" Pinkie replied.

The Changelings all gave their thanks and sat around the fire with the group. Because of the increase in party size, TD ended up using his powers to expand the camp size, but there ended up being enough room in the end. Hornet looked around and said to Pinkie Pie, "We had almost lost hope in ever seeing you again, my Queen."

"Queen?" TD asked.

"By Changeling law, she is the rightful heir to our throne," Hornet stated, "And with the absence of a monarch, by right of birth, your friend may assume the title of Queen."

"Whoa, heavy." Chuck remarked. "What do you think of that hon?" He asked.

"Wow," Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "I always dreamed of being of royalty, but to actually BE royalty? Best day EVER!"

She ended up jumping several feet into the sky, earning a laugh from TD.

"And that's why you're one of my favorites on the show," he said with a chuckle, completely ignoring the puzzled expressions of the Changelings nearby.

"Don't ask," Fragment warned.

"So, what happens now?" Chuck asked Hornet.

"Before I answer that, I believe many of you are wondering what caused Chrysalis to be mad at us."

The majority of the group nodded their heads and Hornet began.

"The attack on Canterlot, during the wedding of Cadence and Shining Armour...Chrysalis had planned the attack for many years in advance. She wanted the help of other Changelings besides her own hive. She hoped that the combined strength would allow our kind to overthrow the Equestrians. In all, she asked for the help of three hives, including our own. Our hive was the only one that refused. We have always been peaceful, or at least compared to the others hives. We didn't mind the ponyfolk, and some of our kind had actually become friends with the ponies openly. Many of the Equestrians who were our friends knew of our true origins, and we didn't want to betray the trust they had for us. In response, Chrysalis attacked our hive. She tried to kill off all of the next generations of Changelings, specifically your friend here." He gestured to Pinkie when he said this. "In desperation, Queen Cocoon escaped the carnage with you. You were in your pupa stage, just about ready to burst out as a Changeling fledgling. She brought you to the rock farm and hid you away from Chrysalis...at the cost of her life."

The group was solemnly silent now as all the Changelings bowed their heads in sadness. Apparently, they had adored their queen very much.

"Oh my goodness..." Pinkie remarked with a shocked expression. Chuck's reaction was verbally in appropriate to include, so let's pretend he said "Fudgesticks".

Hornet nodded. "She was the best Queen we ever had, and she was like a mother to all of us. When we found her body later on, he took it back to the hive and buried her with honor...or, what we would think to be honorable." He looked to Pinkie. "You weren't around for long before Chrysalis attacked, but I know for a fact that your mother loved you with all her heart."

TD wiped away a tear from his eye, much to the surprise of Fragment Soul.

"Yes, I'm crying," he said, "I have a soft spot too."

Hornet chuckled, then said gravely, "We tried to get along without her...but without a queen, our hive's numbers soon diminished. We that stand before you...are the last."

"Wow..." Pinkie remarked. "This morning I was just looking for where I came from, I had no idea that I'd find this out!"

"Wait," Kindred Spirit spoke, "What does that mean now?"

"That is up for our new Queen and her mate to decide. For while it would be nice to see our hive prosper once again, we already understand that you have a life that you have made for yourself. We don't want to force anything upon you. Plus, in order for a queen to replenish the hive, her mate must be a Changeling himself. There are a few rare exceptions, but none that we could exploit at this time."

"Huh," TD said aloud, "I believe something similar to this came from _Son-in-Law of Discord_."

Fragment glared at him, but the Changelings just ignored TD's remark.

"Heh." Chuck remarked flatly. "Look, I'm all for saving your hive. But I would really rather nobody else mating with my wife."

"We are aware of the problems that can arise from that," Hornet remarked, "but there is an alternative. You could become a Changeling yourself."

Everyone was surprised to hear this.

"Is that even possible?" Kindred Spirit asked.

"Actually, it is quite possible," TD said, "but it has to be done with the willing consent of the one being turned into a Changeling."

"Wait, you can make me A Changeling?" Chuck asked. "You know, seven years ago, if someone told me I was going to change species, I woulda said they were nuts. Then it happened, funny to think it could happen again." He remarked. Chuck thought for a second. He could only imagine the look on his adopted daughter and biological son's faces to see that their father had become a Changeling as well. He wasn't worried about the other daughter, for she was a Changeling like her mother. Still, despite all that, he knew what was the right thing to do.

"Well, if it is for the greater good, and I really don't want anyone else's manidibles on my wife- no offense obviously- but... you have my consent," He decided.

"Hold on a second," Kindred Spirit noted, "Wouldn't you both be far away from Ponyville? What about your jobs or your house?"

General Hornet smiled, and turned to Chuck and Pinkie Pie. "That can be easily fixed. As our monarchs, you have authority to either abandon the older hive and create a new hive or to move the old one to the desired location. You can place it close to your town, but take my advice and don't put it too close. Otherwise, your pony friends may experience some...unnecessary inconveniences. Trust me on that."

"What do you mean by moving the hive exactly?" Fragment asked.

"Our hive, unlike other Changeling hives, is much like a giant nest that we can move to desired locations. Unfortunately, we currently lack the numbers or strength to move the older one right now."

"Well," TD smirked. "That's not entirely true."

"Yeah," Chuck nodded at TD. "I wouldn't worry about lacking the numbers. Besides, I used to be a mover, I could lend a hoof. But, of course this is all up to the Queen." He looked to his wife.

"Well..." Pinkie seemed to think about it, but anyone who knew her well enough could tell that she was already convinced.

"Okay!" She said cheerfully, "I'm gonna have a HUGE 'Welcome to Ponyville' party for you guys once we get there!"

TD chuckled, then suddenly appeared in a construction worker outfit, holding a blueprint in his hands.

"Now then," he said with a smile, "about the house..."

* * *

They didn't run into too much trouble with moving the hive to the outskirts of Ponyville. To prevent any unnecessary confrontations, TD messaged Celestia and Twilight of the situation, so the Changelings found a warm welcome waiting for them when they arrived back in Ponyville. TD looked around at the outskirts of Ponyville, which was the closest he could the hive without any technicalities occurring.

"Alright then, where do you want it?" he asked.

"Right here looks good!" Pinkie said.

"I kind of like over there, when the sun hits that ridge just right..." Chuck inhaled, "The hills sing."

"Nice reference to _Emperor's New Groove_ ," TD stated, as he gently set the hive down in its new location with his magic. He stepped back to admire it. Even though it obviously wasn't of pony design, it was rather beautiful looking.

"Perfect!" TD said in satisfaction.

"No place like home, especially when it's just a short walk away from our other home!" Pinkie smiled.

"Amen to that," TD stated, looking up at the sky when he said that. He had a slightly wistful look in his eyes, as if he wished to return to somewhere else.

"It's perfect, Your Majesty," General Hornet said with a nod, admiring the work done. "And if I may be so bold to say, your children are adorable!"

"You're darn right they are!" Chuck piped up.

"What Chuckie means is, thank you," Pinkie said.

"So, how does the whole, 'turn into a Changeling' thing work?" Fragment Soul asked.

"The queen and her mate can actually do that in their own time," Hornet explained. "Although, how it's done...well, I haven't seen it myself. I was still a larva when Queen Cocoon came to power."

"I think I can help with that," TD said. "Basically, and I kid you not, she bites your arm, you fall asleep and are encased in...whatever the goop is called, and in the course of an hour at least, the transformation is complete. It doesn't hurt, at least if you're a willing participant."

Hornet looked to TD in surprise. "How do you know this?"

"It's probably best that I DON'T tell," TD replied. "Seriously, that got too uncomfortable for me, even if I wasn't actually there in the flesh."

"Oh, well that's a whole lot simpler than I had thought," Chuck remarked. "Not too crazy about the goo, though."

"Don't worry about it," TD said reassuringly, "You'll be asleep by the time that happens, so you won't have to worry about a thing. Also, don't worry about eating food. Pinkie's species is capable of eating food like normal, so you won't have to say goodbye to anything."

"The only dietary choice I said goodbye to was five years ago," Chuck said. "Still miss it sometimes."

"If that would be meat Chuck, I already told Pinkie Pie about it a long time ago," TD said with a chuckle.

"I was actually referring to this amazing sandwich I came up with, that is about 90% meat." Chuck corrected. "Oh, and Rum Ham. It's a ham, that has soaked in-"

"Chuck," Pinkie cut him off.

"As interesting as that sounded, I doubt that I'd eat it," TD stated.

"Not a drinker, are you?" Hornet asked.

"Nope. Not unless you count those times when I cheated with my magic so I was technically drinking something else."

"I'm not even gonna bother to ask how you did that," Fragment stated. He looked to Kindred Spirit, who let out a yawn. By now, the sun was already setting a second time. It had taken them a full day to get the hive to Ponyville without damaging it.

"Well, we're going to get to bed now. Take care you guys. I hope this works out for you all."

"Bye Fragment!" TD called to them as they left. He suddenly jerked his head and said, "Hey wait a minute! Fragment just- he- well, guess he wasn't joking when he said that he was improving his grammar from plural tense to singular."

"You're right about that," Chuck nodded. "What do you think, my Queen? Shall we resign too?" He asked.

"Old home or the new hive?" She asked.

"One more night in the old home, for old times sake," Chuck said as they walked off.

TD watched them go and a sigh escaped him.

"Well, I'm glad that worked out. It seems that everything is going back to normal."

"I'm glad to see the queen alive, and I wish only the best for the two of them," Hornet replied. TD looked to him. Hornet hadn't said anything, but TD could tell something was bothering him.

"What is it?"

Hornet sighed. "I'm an old Changeling, granted not as old as a queen can get, but old nonetheless. Changeling monarchs can live for thousands of years if desired, but we drones can only live for one hundred."

"How old are you now?" TD inquired.

"Ninety-nine," the general stated. TD whistled.

"So, will this cause issues with Chuck and Pinkie?" he inquired.

"It shouldn't," the general stated. "If they don't desire to live that long, they can choose to live for a shorter period. Also, your friend Chuck will automatically possess the long life of a Changeling when he transforms as well. Either way, I see a win-win situation."

"Perhaps," TD nodded, "After all, my own wife and at least one of my friends are immortal; one through her transformation, another through choice."

The human stared off into the darkening sky as another sigh escaped him.

"All we can do is wait and see if that's what we want..."

* * *

 **"And that concludes our broadcast day."**

 **It certainly does, TD.**

 **"Review, follow, and all that good stuff! If you don't, you don't want to find out what'll happen..."**

 **Don't worry, he's joking. I think...**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Peace!**


	31. A Sensitive Topic and Changeling Chuck

**Let's a go! This chapter takes place the day after the last chapter. Also, this is where TD brings up a topic that's been egging him for a long time since entering Equestria: immortality, or long life in general.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Where's the corkscrew when you need it?" TD moaned, as he tried and failed to open up a corked bottle inside of Chuck's Tavern. He had arrived before anyone else, so he had the whole place to himself. That is, until two familiar figures walked through the door: Pinkie Pie and Chuck.

"Drawer behind the counter." Chuck said as he walked over. He still stood in his old form, having not underwent the procedure of change to Changeling yet. "What do you need it for?"

"Gah!" TD cried out, falling from off the stack of chairs he had created while opening it. Unfortunately, he ended up taking the entire stack with him. If he didn't know him, Chuck would've thought that TD was either dead or critically injured.

"I'm trying to open this sparkling cider bottle!" TD's voice said from under the pile he had created. "I knew getting sparkling cider in a wine bottle was a bad idea!"

"And yet you still did it anyway." The earth pony chuckled as he got the cork screw. "See these?" He pointed to the bags starting to develop under his eyes. "I'm twenty six years old. It's situations like this that give me these, I shouldn't have these."

"Good thing tomorrow morning you more than likely won't have them!" Pinkie eluded to his future transformation.

"Oh good! I still have time to talk!" TD said in relief, still under the chairs. That was quickly fixed when they all returned to their normal spots in the bar with a flash of light.

"Well what do you want to talk about?" Pinkie asked as she sat down at a stool at the bar.

"Yeah, what's up?" Chuck asked.

TD sighed. This was going to be a sensitive topic for him, and it had the potential of going downhill with his luck.

"Guys, this has been on my mind for awhile, but first I need to ask you something. Do you personally think that immortality is worth the price?"

Pinkie and Chuck exchanged looks, neither comfortable really with the topic and they both made unsure faces as to how to reply.

"Honestly?" Chuck asked. "I would never want to be immortal."

"You're already immortal!" Pinkie said to Chuck.

"No no, you're thinking of immoral." Chuck corrected. "Immortal is living forever."

"Oh, I wouldn't want that!" Pinkie shook her head.

"Well, thankfully, you won't have to experience it," TD said, then immediately retaliated with, "but long life WILL be a thing you experience. That is, unless you choose otherwise."

"How long are we talking?" Chuck asked curiously.

"Hornet didn't tell you yet, did he?" TD asked, his face in his hands as if stressed out.

"He told me!" Pinkie said. "But I kinda forgot to tell Chuckie about it."

"Oh great! Now I have to lay it on him." TD sighed and looked to Chuck with seriousness in his expression.

"Chuck, when you become a Changeling, you'll be able to live longer than the average pony. Most live for at least one-hundred years, but a monarch, like Pinkie Pie, can live for a couple thousand years. Which makes me ask, didn't you notice that she seemed to stay younger than everyone else as the years went on by? Her long life is the explanation for that."

"Oh I see." Chuck said coolly before it really hit him. "A couple thousand years!?" He suddenly remarked.

"By default, yes," TD explained. "However, Hornet did mention that you can choose not to live that long. Unfortunately...that goes for both of you. If you choose this transformation, you will, in a sense, be bonded with Pinkie Pie in a way so that you share the same lifespan. If one of you chooses to not live that long, it will affect both of you." TD sighed. "I know it's probably not a good time to talk about it, but it's been on my mind ever since Twilight discovered that..." He stopped himself, and a barely noticeable tear fell down his cheek and hit the floor.

"Discovered what?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah! What?" Pinkie asked.

TD sighed again. "Twilight found out that she herself is immortal. Probably not that big a surprise, considering that she's an alicorn, but there was a small part of me that hoped it wasn't a possibility."

"Ooh." Chuck winced a little.

"Oh no..." Pinkie remarked.

"Many ponies don't realize why that's such a touchy subject for me. They assume I'm immortal too. But the truth is...I'm not." TD stood up and looked at them with a sad look. "I may be older than Equestria and every other world I've come across thanks to my powers, but I'm not immortal. And already I think it's enough of a torture. It always makes me wonder why Fluttershy would be so willing to become immortal herself, even if it had to do with Discord."

"She did?" Chuck asked. "Huh..."

"Maybe it's a good thing you aren't immortal!" Pinkie said. "Who really wants to live forever right?"

"Well, that's the problem!" TD stated, "I still will outlive the lot of you! Maybe even Twilight! She may be immortal, but I've had a relationship before with someone who was immortal. Her world ended, but I continued on. Every other relationship was with someone mortal, and they died while I continued on. Do you know how painful it is to watch someone die slowly in front of you, but you are left behind?"

"I had a hamster once, I kinda know the feeling." Chuck said, earning a swift smack in the back of the head from his wife. "I mean, no. That sounds absolutely terrible."

TD managed a chuckle. "You manage to make me laugh even when you're terrible at word choice."

"Well, I do consider that to be my only positive quality, even then." He shrugged a little with a coy grin. "Look, I really don't know what I could say that would help. Whenever I get somepony in here dealing with the existential, I get them good and loaded and on their way, but that won't work with you."

"Hard to believe he's going to be a king tomorrow huh?" Pinkie giggled to TD.

"I can believe it," TD stated. "I'm kinda the one who wrote the story in the first place, if you want to go on a Fourth Wall breaking basis. Also, this wouldn't be the first time."

"Fair point." Pinkie nodded.

"Aren't you pretty... well, omnipotent? Couldn't you just make yourself die if you wanted to?" Chuck asked, not knowing how wrong that sounded out of context.

TD looked to him. "I could, but I'm a religious person, believe it or not. And according to my faith, killing myself will only bring me something terrible for all of eternity. Plus, suicide is never the answer my friend."

"Alright, don't say I didn't offer up any advice." Chuck shrugged.

"What he means is that this is a really tough situation and he's just not sure how to help," Pinkie said.

TD laughed again. "Terrible advice, but it lifts my spirits a bit, despite how dark that may sound." He looked around and noticed how high the sun had risen in the last couple minutes. "Well, I should get going probably. Let me know when you'll start the transformation please. Hornet insisted that I supervise, considering that I'm the only one who knows anything about it."

"Do we really have to let him supervise?" Chuck asked his wife. "I thought we had agreed to do it tonight when we go to bed. I don't feel comfortable being watched as I sleep."

"Don't think of it as being watched, think of it as being supervised!" Pinkie said.

"That is worse," Chuck said, "So, SO much worse." He sighed. "But, it's for the greater good, so I can deal with it."

"Don't worry," TD said, "All I really need to do is to see if the effects start to work. I'll be gone by the time you fall asleep. Although, just a heads up, you will be asked by either me or Hornet if you consent to the change when you do it. You will have to give your verbal consent. Otherwise, it won't work. Don't ask how that works, it confuses me too."

"Well... okay then." Chuck said. "Wait, how deep does the bite have to be?" He asked.

"Not too deep," TD replied, "Otherwise we'd be conducting a vampire ritual. And I seriously doubt that it would be good for your health if a Changeling tried to replicate that. So in other words, don't bite down to his blood vessels, but it can't be a flesh wound either." TD looked to them. "That's the best way I can word it, really."

"Great." Chuck said flatly. "Just, don't think about any time I may have upset or angered you while you do it, okay?" He pleaded to his wife.

"We'll see!" She giggled a little and winked.

TD smirked. "Trust me, I'll make sure that it goes according to plan. Plus, if it does go south, I've got ways to mend that."

"If, if is good." Chuck repeated nervously to himself.

"Well, I'll see you guys there then," TD stated. He pulled out a small sample cup, placed it on his head, and somehow got sucked up into it before it fell to the floor, signifying that he was gone.

* * *

"Well, hello TD," Fluttershy greeted the human warmly as he stood in front of the door to her new home: a castle within the Everfree Forest, curtsy of her husband Discord.

"Hi Fluttershy," TD greeted back. He then asked, "Is it just you at home right now?"

"Yes. Discord and the others left awhile ago. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something that has been on my mind. You happen to be a prime example of what it's about, so I thought I'd talk to you first."

Fluttershy nodded and brought him inside to sit on a couch in what TD assumed to be the living room. As expected, the inside was complete chaos but TD's own Chaos allowed him to cope with most of what was happening around him. Fluttershy sat him down and said, "Now then, tell me what's bothering you."

TD sighed. "You know how Twilight is immortal like you, right?"

"Yes," Fluttershy answered.

"Well that's what is bothering me," TD said sadly, "I'm not immortal myself, though I may live long enough to outlive this world when she inevitably passes with it. I just don't know what to do. So that's why I wanted your opinion. Fluttershy, how do you cope with it?"

Fluttershy gave him a kind smile, which was fitting for her, being the Element of Kindness.

"I understand that there are many sacrifices and hardships that come with it," she said, "but my love for Discord is what made me choose immortality. Sometimes, the love we have for others forces us to make tough decisions or sacrifices. When I learned that Discord couldn't become mortal, I realized how hurt he would be if I died and he kept on going. So I chose to stay with him forever. It's often tough choices like this that test our love for others, but when they do come you have to follow your heart."

TD was silent for a moment as he pondered her words, then smiled and stood to his feet.

"Thanks Fluttershy," he said kindly. "It helps, but I think that I'm gonna get the opinion of one more individual before bringing this case to a close."

"Who would that be?" Fluttershy asked, to which TD smiled.

"Just a lavender alicorn who changed my heart almost twenty years ago..."

* * *

Twilight may have been used to most of TD's unorthodox methods of entry, but having him appear as a snail who could move as fast as a pegasus could fly was a new one for her. But as it was clear that her husband had something he wanted to talk about, she humored him.

"William, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing the disturbed expression his eyes held. TD sighed and returned to his human form before speaking.

"I've been thinking, about your immortality." Twilight was a bit surprised, but allowed him to continue.

"Twi, you and I both know that I'm not immortal but I can still live longer than anything else in all of Equestria. Well, has it ever occurred to you what prices will be paid for your immortality? Having your friends and family pass away before you and not being able to do anything about it? I've had a relationship before with someone who was immortal, yet her world has long since ended, but I'm still here. I just...I guess I just don't want to repeat that with you..."

Twilight lifted his head up with a hoof.

"I know," she said, "but sometimes love requires sacrifices to be made. I know that you probably heard that, but it's true. I'll admit, I won't enjoy having most of my friends pass away while I continue on, but I'm willing to remain immortal if it means staying with you, my Prince of Chaos."

TD looked to her, then a smile crossed his face as he spoke.

"And I would do the same for you, my little North Star."

TD pulled her in for a kiss, which she returned immediately. Her wings embraced him, covering their faces in a soft feathery canvas. TD stroked her mane and a slight shudder could be felt going through her body.

"You know," TD said when they pulled apart, "I could always tie your life-line to my own so we both live the same amount of years."

Twilight smiled. "That would eliminate some complications. If anyone can make it work, it's you."

Twilight pulled TD back in for another kiss, and he sighed contently. Deep down, he knew that Twilight was right. Love did require sacrifices to be made at times. He had made the sacrifice of leaving behind his previous life to stay with her, but while he missed it, at the same time one fact remained true.

He wouldn't trade his life with Twilight for anything...

* * *

The night of Chuck's transformation had finally begun, much to TD's dismay. It wasn't that he didn't want to help his friends; it was their decision to make and there wasn't anything he could do against that. In a sense, he was happy for them and realized that is was for the greater good. However, he really wished that he had been more specific on whom he told the news to among the Changelings.

"I said ' **Don't** invite anyone else,'" TD muttered, as he stood among the small group of Changelings that had arrived as well.

"C'mon, get out of here!" Chuck shooed the group away as he walked toward his bed. He took a look at his wife, then his wife's teeth before smiling nervously.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, yes," He admitted. "I'm ready."

"Then let us begin," TD said in a formal tone. He turned to Chuck and said, "Chuck Murphy, tonight, you undertake a ceremony that will change your very being. You have accepted this transformation out of a sense for the greater good, but I need proof. Do you consent with the transformation from pony to Changeling?"

"I consent to it, yes." He nodded, smiling at his wife.

"Pinkie, you may now...well, bite him really," TD said, still not used to giving stuff like this.

Chuck nodded. "Go ahead, just, not into that vein." He pointed. And with that, Pinkie closed her eyes and sunk her teeth into his arm, puncturing the flesh. Chuck winced a little in pain, as one does when punctured by teeth. It took him all his willpower to keep him from attacking out of natural instinct. He bit down on his lips and waited. The mere seconds that Pinkie's teeth were in his arm felt like hours, but eventually she removed her teeth from him and wiped her mouth.

"Well, how do I taste?" Chuck grinned a little.

"You'd be a lot better well done," She giggled.

TD started laughing when he heard Pinkie's statement.

"I thought that you'd be asking him how he felt, not complimenting how he tastes!" he giggled. He was almost losing it.

"Well how did you feel?" Pinkie asked.

"I am in incredible pain, but I'm alive," Chuck explained.

"Okay, you may feel a little bit woozy pretty soon," TD mentioned, "That's perfectly normal. It means we're on the right track. Soon, it will overcome you fully, you will drop off to sleep, and we shall begin the next stage, which you thankfully won't have to worry about yourself."

"I'm already feeling a little dizzy..." He groaned. "I need to lie down, oh wait." He remarked, seeing that he was already in bed.

"Yeah, so now comes the part with the goo... Just be thankful that it's only for an hour and that you'll be asleep through most of it. Also, it's not as bad as you think." TD then seemed to realize something and asked, "This is more of a personal choice on your part, but do you want me to encase you instantaneously, or would you prefer Pinkie to do it?"

"No offense, but I'll be choosing my wife," Chuck replied with closed eyes.

"Fair enough. I'll leave you two at that. Remember, once he's fully encased, leave him alone for about an hour."

TD left the room and closed the door.

"Now then," he said to himself, "Since I don't like waiting, let's speed things up."

He took out a small clock and turned the hands on it so that it was now one hour ahead. As he did so, the shadows and lighting changed, as time was sped up to the time he wanted. He then knocked on the door.

"You decent in there?" he asked, "Because I need to make sure that it worked."

"I only ever wear two articles of clothing anyway," Chuck said from inside the room. "And neither of them really cover anything."

TD laughed and opened the door. The results were satisfying.

Before him, standing next to Pinkie Pie, was another Changeling. This one had an auburn mane and wings of the same color. His eyes were blue, but looked like pony eyes minus the pupil. Both mane and wings were full of holes, but one other feature stood out that confirmed who it was: three yellow spots on each cheek that stood out even in the Changeling form. His horn was curved, but it seemed slightly larger than the average Changeling. TD had learned that Pinkie's species, both monarch and drones alike, always had curved horns, with the monarch's being larger and sharper in some cases. TD gave a whistle.

"Chuck my friend," he stated, "Congratulations. This was a success. Welcome to the life of a Changeling."

"Looking sharp if I say so myself." He remarked looking in a mirror. "Digging the look." He chuckled.

"You'd better stop him soon," Pinkie said, "He'll be standing in front of the mirror for another hour if you don't."

"Ah, let him look!" TD stated. "He'll need to if he wants to get used to it. Oh, almost forgot! If you want to bring up your original form as a disguise, that is quite possible. Your species can pull up disguises even at a young age, but the easiest one is a disguise that more or less matches your current appearance. You don't need much effort to pull up your original form, and it will stay up without even thinking until you want it to disappear. The only exception is if you are scared out of your mind."

"Cool," He said, rapidly switching back and forth between his old look and new form. "So how do I learn other disguises?"

"You can actually pull them up now technically speaking," TD stated. "Monarchs have that advantage. However, it may take more effort than your original disguise. You can reduce the effort done however by either coming into contact with the figure or object in mind, or if you know said figure or object. For example, try turning into my pony form."

"Okay.." He said as he closed his eyes and pictured the image, his body transforming into TD's pony form. "Nice." He remarked.

"You'll notice that in most cases, your voice changes by default to the voice of the creature you're impersonating, although you can use your normal voice if desired." TD gave a sigh, "Well, look's like my work here is done! Tomorrow morning, we will officially announce your change to the citizens of Ponyville. As of now, only your family, friends, and the hive know about it. Although, it wouldn't hurt to show them before hand actually, considering that they know your species is friendly."

"What do you say?" Chuck asked Pinkie, back in his Changeling from. "Little royal walk around town?" He asked.

"Lets go!" Pinkie nodded.

TD chuckled. "Catch you later, lovebirds! I wish only the best for you."

TD disappeared in a burst of flames, content that everything had worked out in the end. And seeing them happy made him forget about his worry of immortality and the like.

"I think we'll be fine," he said with a sigh.

"And whatever comes our way, we'll solve it together, as a family..."


	32. Joy Star's Return

**Accidentally deleted the first copy of this, so I took great pains in restoring it.**

 **Edit: Figured out one name for Equestria's planet and used it in this edit.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

TD was awake at night yet again. The vision that had popped up this time was rather vague, but he did recognize one figure that had shown up. Joy Star, the human Prince of Equestria in another universe. He had shown up once before when his Discord had received help from an old enemy's still-active robot to banish him to TD's universe. TD had gone back with him to help deal with the potential threat before it got any worst than it already was. After taking care of that and having a short confrontation with the Celestia and Luna of that universe, TD had given Joy a special gift to use for himself and his fiance Bubble to use if they ever wanted to visit TD again.

And yet that's why TD was worried tonight. The vision suggested that Joy was in trouble back home. He wasn't sure how or why, but he knew that it wouldn't be easy for him to deal with. The vision had shown TD on the verge of collapsing, having reached his magical limits. TD shuddered. The last time he had reached his limits was when he had been corrupted and had brought the multiple universes he had visited together into one world in an attempt to kill his own brother, the King of the Ice Warriors, and before that...when he had helped his brothers destroy their oldest enemy. TD really didn't like that memory, for it wasn't ever a pretty thought. He had been forced to erase the memories of those who lived around their area and had watched the fight, then replaced the erased memories with false ones. It pained him to have to do that, for it made him feel like a liar. Especially towards his parents...

TD sighed. With the exception of his younger brothers and maybe his sister, his family back on Earth knew nothing about his life as the Terror of Dimensions, back then or even now with him trying to turn over a new leaf. He never did lie to them about it, but he didn't actually talk about it to them either. It saddened him that he was forced to keep his double life a secret from them for their safety.

"If only I didn't have to keep it hidden," he muttered to himself. He quietly teleported out onto the balcony of the castle and looked up at the beautiful night sky of Equestria. He then used his magic to expand his vision far beyond Equus. He wasn't sure how far he had been permitted to look, but he eventually found what he was looking for: a familiar planet that he called home. TD sighed wistfully at the sight, then returned his vision to normal.

"Someday," he vowed. "Someday, I will tell you everything. Nothing will be kept secret anymore, and I won't be forced to live like this. Until that day..."

TD returned back to his bedroom, where Twilight still lay asleep. She stirred a bit as he climbed back in bed next to her, but didn't wake. TD wrapped an arm around her and pulled her form close to him, sighing contently as she nuzzled up to him. Sleep soon overcame him, and the night carried on, while meanwhile, in a different universe, someone else was having his own troubled dreams...

* * *

After having another strange dream Joy was unable to sleep again. He was lying in his bed and was lost in deep thoughts. Mostly because he was feeling a little upset. Silently Joy opened his drawer and draw out a stone. It wasn't a normal stone even though it looked like one.

 _'If you want to visit all you've to do is to ask.'_ He read what was written on the stone. The time since Joy had come back from TD's Equestria. There were so many questions that had been left unasked. Since that time at the Gala, he and Bubble never were separated, except for once when Bubble went in Manehatten to greet her family members. That was around the same time when Discord was freed from his stone prison. Then he remembered everything after that: all the havoc, the fight with Discord, going to an alternate world, returning, and that "tin can" thing. Joy was really worried for some reason. He looked towards the pink mare who was sleeping beside him in her purple pajamas. Joy smiled to see that cute view. There was still a little time before morning. Then other thoughts came to his mind. It was a little time after Hearth-Warming Celebrations. He remembered how Twilight and her friends role-played as Equestria's founders and the Windagos. The most funny character he thought was Commander Hurricane's assistant Private Pansy. Fluttershy looked really good in that role. Joy giggled a little loudly and took a sigh. That was enough to wake up the sleeping mare.

"Joy, are you feeling alright?" She caressed his cheeks, turning his face towards herself.

"I'm fine sweetheart. Just wondering..." Joy replied.

"You've had one of those dreams. Haven't you?" asked Bubble.

Joy nodded in response. Bubble just smiled and brought him closer to he,r wrapping her front legs around his chest. After a little bit of nuzzling, Bubble planted a kiss on his lips.

"Don't worry Joy!" She said, caressing her hoof in his hairs, "Everything will be alright."

"I'm worried about my mother, aunt Luna, Cadence, and... you," Joy said. "I feel like a thre-"

He was cut-off was gentle hoof touch on his lips.

"I'll always standing alongside you." said Bubble, "No matter what!"

Joy's smile could be seen beneath her gentle touch along with some wetness in his eyes. He caressed her mane softly.

"That's much better!" Bubble giggled, "How about a little cuddling before morning? This will help you feel better."

Joy nodded in response and let him relax along his fiancé. Outside the castle, something was happening that they both didn't know about. The blizzard was getting more and more intense for some reason.

Suddenly, there was a sound of broken glass outside the room, and the temperature dropped dramatically. A howling sound of some kind was heard too. It sounded vaguely familiar...

"*GASP* What was that?" Bubble asked in fear.

"I don't know," Joy said, "It's getting a little colder."

The sound of howling was heard once again, this time even more intense. Joy was unable to recognize that sound clearly, then suddenly something sent a shiver through his spine. That howling was of one of the well-known characters he remembered in the Hearth-Warming performance.

 _No, I'm just assuming things. they're not real._

The door burst open and Joy's fears were realized. The icy spirit in mind was there in the flesh. It was a Windago!

The windago howled as he looked towards Joy. Bubble was terrified to see such a thing in front of them. She wrapped her hooves around Joy's chest and looked towards the monster.

"Wh- what's that?" Bubble asked, trembling terribly.

"A- a windago!" Joy was scared as well. "That's-"

The icy spirit came towards the human and the mare, leaving a trail of ice behind it. Joy held Bubble in a tight hug and they both closed there eyes. They both were really scared, but they didn't notice that their bodies were covered in an light purple aura. As the Windago approached them, it felt something unbearably warm that hurt it. It backed off with a neigh, then flew out of the room, leaving a train of steam behind it.  
As they felt that the Windago was gone, Joy opened his eyes. Everything around them felt really cold.

"Bubble," said Joy, "We're safe, for now."

Bubble opened her eyes and looked towards Joy. She digged her face in his chest, making some sobs.

"Sorry Joy!" Bubble cried, "I was really scared!"

"It's okay sweetheart." Joy cooed her, "But I'm having a really bad feeling about this."

Just then, Joy heard a voice that seemed to whisper in his mind.

 _Joy Star._

"Hmm..." Joy was surprised, as there was no one other than himself and Bubble in the room. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Bubble replied.

 _Joy Star_ , the voice said again. This time, Bubble heard it as well. Suddenly, the stone Joy had taken out earlier began to glow and it levitated itself in front of the two of them.

"That stone is speaking to you?" Bubble asked.

"It seems so," Joy answered confused "Yes. TD, is that you?" Joy spoke.

"TD," Bubble said with surprise, "TD, who helped you to defeat that thing?"

 _I am not TD,_ the stone replied, _I am but a portion of his power that he left with you in case you were in danger. Listen! Your family and friends, and all of Equestria...they cannot be saved yet. Not by your hands. But, perhaps TD can help. All you must do is ask._

Joy was really surprised. Equestria and all of his family and friends were in danger! He rushed out of the bedroom along with Bubble. Both of them dashed outside the room. To their most horrific surprise, the entire castle walls and floor were covered in ice, save from his room.

"All you've to do is to ask." He repeated the words in his mind. He then realized what to do.

"Hold on tight Bubble!" Joy said and held Bubble's hoof in his hand. "TD my friend, we need your help."

The stone glowed brighter for a moment, then a surge of energy fired from it and connected with the human and mare. A light engulfed them, and when it cleared, they were gone.

* * *

Over in Ponyville, a portal appeared in a field near the Everfree, and Joy and Bubble flew out of it and onto the ground below. Joy looked around and reckoned that they were in TD's universe, considering that there was no blizzard here.

 _It worked._ A smile came upon Joy's face. Bubble wasn't sure that what was going on so she was really confused.

"Joy, why are we in Ponyville?" She asked, "Is that what was suppose to happen?"

"I'm pretty sure that's it," Joy replied, "Now we've to find the friendship castle. C'mon!" They started walking in a certain direction. Bubble trotted alongside him still a little puzzled.

'Oh, I hope you know what are you doing my sweetie.' Bubble thought.

Just then, a familiar blonde unicorn filly with a pink mane and tail trotted around the corner of a street just up ahead of them. She seemed to be lost in thought, feeling the wind in her mane and a small smile was on her face. She turned towards them and her smile disappeared for a second, then returned just as quickly as she rushed towards them shouting, "Joy!"

Joy received a hug from little filly. He was a little surprised at this at first, but then he smiled and returned the hug. Despite all the confusion, Bubble was watching them in awe.

"This filly looks well acquainted with you. Isn't she?"

Joy released the filly and looked towards Bubble.

"She's Diana, daughter of TD," Joy spoke up, "Diana, this is my fiance Bubble."

"Diana!" Bubble spoke, giving a look of alarm, "Nice to meet you dear Diana."

Bubble was hugged by the filly as well and she was feeling quite surprised. Then she remembered something important/

"Joy~"

"Oh yeah!" Joy said in quite an alarming tone, "Diana, we need to see your father, quick!"

Diana nodded, then closed her eyes ad her horn glowed. In a few seconds, a flash of light appeared and TD was standing before them in a business suit, holding a couple cards in front of him.

"You heard right," TD said, as if talking to someone else, "I have two Aces of Spades. That tells me that someone is cheat- huh?"

TD just then seemed to notice Joy and Bubble, as well as Diana.

"Joy? And Bubble too?" He gave a smile. "Well, what a pleasant surprise!"

Joy smiled to look at the other human. _That was real quick._

"TD, we need your help," Joy said "Something strange is going on in my world."

Bubble was now understanding the things to some extent. When Joy said 'my world' she reckon that they were not in Equestria they knew but in an alternate universe. Joy continued as TD listened.

"There are... there are Windagos... real Windagos!" Joy was saying abruptly, "Everything is frozen. Everypony... is in danger!"

"What?!" TD exclaimed, "But that's impossible! They can't come around unless harmony is disrupted-" He stopped himself as the realization hit him. "...Or someone gave them the means to come back. This is not good! Not good at all!"

Joy was now really worried. TD knew something for sure and he was having a really bad feeling about this.

 _Why something tends to go wrong when I believe everything is going to be alright?_

Joy just looked towards TD with questioning expression.

"What do you mean?" At last Bubble spoke, "Will you please explain to us?"

"The Windagos, as you may know, can normally only appear when disharmony occurs between the three pony species. If they're appearing in your world without that, it means that they had help." TD sighed. "I'll help obviously, but this won't be easy for me. The reason why is this: my weakness is ice-based attacks and magic."

Joy went closer to TD and put his hand on the shoulder of chaotic being. A smiled came on Joy's face as TD looked towards him.

"Don't worry my friend." Joy said, "You're not alone against whatever that is." Joy looked towards Bubble, "After all, as the Prince of Equestria, I'm responsible for the protection of my people."

"Thanks, but before we leave, I'd like for us to get some backup."

"Backup," Bubble said in surprise, "What kind of backup?"

"How about a pegasus with my powers and an alicorn's, and anyone else you could suggest."

 _A pegasus colt with an Alicorn's power as well as his powers!_ Bubble thought quite skeptically, as she didn't know about Zach. Joy however, quickly understood that TD was talking about his son.

"You're talking about Zach, right?" Joy inquired, "Don't get me wrong TD but still... isn't he a little young?" he added with a little surprise.

TD smiled. "Zach may be young, but he's surprisingly strong for his age. Also, I'm sure he mentioned that he's part of Celestia's council here, hasn't he? That's because he is mentally more mature than his age."

All this while, Diana was simply watching them with interest. She didn't seem to fully understand what was going on, but then again she was still five years old. Bubble's condition wasn't much different from Diana, as she was also trying to figure out what both the humans were talking about.

"Oh yeah," Joy chuckled as he rubbed back of his neck, "I forgot that he's a member of the council."

Bubble cleared her throat, bringing their attention towards her. She had a questioning expression on her face.

"Oh, sorry!" TD apologized, "Do you wish to ask something?"

"Yeah I do," She said and looked towards Joy, "May I remind you that nopony knows about our absence in 'our' Equestria, so maybe we should hurry?"

"They're all probably frozen solid by now," TD stated bluntly, "so they would at most think that you're in the same predicament they're in...if they are even conscious like that. But, you're right. Cover your ears, please."

Diana looked to Bubble and spoke for the first time since meeting her.

"You may want to follow Dad's advice there. I may not be able to hear it, but the vibrations it gives off are more than enough to tell me that it's gonna be loud."

Bubble was quick to cover her ears as little filly said this.

 _I don't like this "TD."_ She gritted her teeth and prepared herself for whatever was about to come.

"Hey, rude!" TD said to Bubble, as if reading her thoughts. He then pulled out a horn that seemed way too big for him to even use, but magic apparently lets you get away with things like that. He blew into it and it made a loud bugle noise, as if someone was on a fox hunt. After half a minute, he made the trumpet disappear just as a cloud of feathers appeared in a flash. When the feathers cleared, Zach was standing before them. However, he wasn't alone. Twilight was also with him, and Pinkie Pie as well. Judging from the slight look of frustration in Zach's eyes, he had not planned on bringing her. And to top it all, Pinkie wasn't in disguise, so her Changeling features were visible to all.

Joy and Bubble both removed their hands and hooves from their ears. Looking towards the Zach, Twilight, and changeling Pinkie a smile came upon Joy's face.

"Nice to see you Zach." Joy said "You too Princess Twilight and Pinkie."

"Joy!" Zach shouted in glee, "Good to see you again, even if it's not during a less dire situation."

Bubble reckoned that the pegasus colt was Zach, as he was the only pegasus there, and standing beside him was somepony she knew as her friend from her own world.

'She's a Princess here. A real Princess in that case.'

Bubble also happened to notice a bug pony standing alongside the colt.

"Joy~" Bubble almost squeaked as she kept herself closer to her sweetie, "What's that thing standing right beside that colt?"

"Don't worry Bubs," Joy said, pointing towards the changeling mare, "She's the alternate Pinkie of this world."

Bubble's eyes widened with surprise.

 _Everything's fine Bubble, stop acting so strange..._ Bubble then looked towards Pinkie.

 _But really, that bug thing is Pinkie? That's just too weird._ Then she looked towards Joy who was standing beside her. _Weird? Says a mare who fell in love with a bipedal colt._

Bubble smiled at this as she looked towards the gang. Pinkie Pie came over to Bubble and, as if to confirm that it was really her, started speaking fast and excited-like.

"Hi there! I'm Pinkie Pie! But of course, you probably already knew that one, even if I'm a Changeling here! Did I mention that I'm the Queen of my hive? Oh, you'd love all the others! They're really nice! What's your name again?"

Zach gave a chuckle. "Even as a Changeling, she's still the same old Pinkie Pie."

Twilight pulled Pinkie away from Bubble for a moment to give her some breather room. She then smiled warmly and extended her hoof.

"Hello Bubble," she said kindly, "Welcome to our Equestria. I'm sorry that we couldn't meet at a more convenient time, but it's a pleasure to meet you nonetheless."

Bubble was still a little surprised at such revealations. She looked towards Princess Twilight and extended her hoof for a hoof-shake.

"Thank you very much Princess Twilight," Bubble passed her warm smile, "And it's my pleasure to meet you as well."

"Uh, shouldn't we be leaving?" Zach asked.

"Yes, we should," TD admitted, "but first I want to ask a question." He turned to Twilight and Pinkie Pie. "Are you guys seriously coming with me?"

"I think you already know my answer," Twilight replied with a small smile. Pinkie was simply giving him a smirk. TD seemed to hesitate for a long moment, then sighed as his will broke.

"Fine, you can come. But only because I need the extra help. Otherwise, I wouldn't ask you to put yourself in danger unnecessarily. Hope you said your goodbyes, because I'm not giving us time for that now."

"We did," Twilight said. She then looked to Diana and said, "We'll be back soon, Diana. Find Plank and stay with him while we're gone. He should be waiting near the Everfree Forest."

Diana nodded, then gave Twilight a quick hug before trotting off towards Everfree.

Joy waved his hand to the filly as she left. Then he look towards TD and the rest of the gang. Taking a sigh, he held his grip tight on Bubble's hoof as he spoke.

"Ready sweetheart?" He asked

"Mmmhmm." Bubble nodded "Ready!"

"Alright, this might sting a bit, but it's because I'm gonna be applying something special to us while we get ready for teleportaion," TD stated. He then started chanting in an ancient tongue. A stinging pain went through them for a moment, then they disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

"Alright everybody!" TD shouted once they arrived, his form that of Vanossgaming's owl figure, "Welcome to Canada!"

"Canada?"

Both Joy and Bubble yelped in surprise and looked towards that strange owl figure. Bubble's eyes were wide open, along with her hoof placed on her chest. Twilight gave TD a glare and he returned to normal. All around them, a blizzard raged and snow was covering the ground, save for a small area of influence that TD had created around them where only snow remained.

"What? I thought that it would fit the icy theme we have here. Would you have preferred an Ice Age reference?"

"How about a warning for those that are unfamiliar with your powers?" Twilight suggested, the glare never leaving her face. TD sighed.

"You try to lighten the mood," he muttered. Meanwhile, Zach was looking around them and noticed something familiar nearby.

"Hey, I think we're in the Canterlot gardens!" he stated.

Meanwhile, Bubble nuzzled into Joy's chest to calm herself down as Joy nuzzled her mane softly. She was a little scared, as she wasn't used to these kinds of things. Joy looked around. It was his favorite place in the palace since his childhood, and now it was all covered in snow. Bubble also gathered herself together to look around her and was not happy at what she saw. She gritted her teeth in anger and stomped her hoof on the ground.

"Who could be so cruel to do this?" She yelled.

"You'd be surprised," TD said softly, a sad tone in his voice as he looked around. Twilight noticed this and stopped giving him a glare. She walked over and nuzzled against him comfortingly. Just then, a burst of pink flames appeared and Pinkie Pie appeared before them.

"Aunt Pinkie, what did you do?" Zach asked.

"I decided to see what it was like to be a snowflake," she stated, "It's actually more dull than I thought."

Zach gave a laugh, but when he did, it felt almost like a shockwave had hit. A howl was heard in the distance and the storm got less fierce.

"What just happened?" Asked Bubble, who was quite surprised. However, Joy somehow understood the reason behind that shock wave.

"Of course!" Joy said more to himself "Windagos hate friendship and heartwarming moments such as we performed now."

"But that won't be enough to eradicate them this time," TD stated bluntly. Suddenly, the howling sounded much closer and a Windago flew towards TD at top speeds. TD didn't have time to get out of the way, so he was taken up by the Windago into the sky. The group, while surprised, could hear him in the air above complaining about the ride.

"I'm gonna throw up! Gonna throw up! Gonna throw up!" TD's voice shouted out in an Australian accent. Just then, the Windago fell from the sky and hit the ground in front of them before evaporating into steam. A Muppet appeared next them (who so happened to be Gonzo) and he looked upwards as if trying to catch something. A loud, "Yaaaaa!" was heard and a figure fell to the ground behind Gonzo. The figure stood up as Rizo the Rat, who was glaring at Gonzo.

"Huh, missed," Gonzo said with a shrug. Then both disappeared and TD stood in their place.

Bubble was really shocked once again. Not because of his unorthodox chaos but at the thought that he could get wounded badly. Despite her dislikeness for TD's chaotic powers she didn't wanted something bad happened to him because he was a friend of Joy. Seeing him safe was relief for everypony there.

"Glad to see you fine," Joy spoke, "I don't think-"

Joy was cut-off there as they heard more howls and to their horrors more Windagos were coming in their directions.

TD fired a blast of fire from his hands at the Windagos, but only one of them actually dispersed into steam. A beam charged up from one of them and fired at TD. He blocked the attack, but it seemed to have taken considerable energy out of him. Seeing this, Twilight immediately intervened and blocked the attack for him. TD was surprised to find that it actually worked, but was disappointed a second later when Twilight's blast to the Windagos did nothing to harm them. Meanwhile, a few of the Windagos had decided to attack Zach, but unlike either of his parents the pegasus had no difficulty in blocking or attacking. Pinkie Pie somehow held her own by transforming her image into a pink version of Spike and blowing fire at the Windagos.

"I can't block them," TD said to Twilight, "and you can't hurt them. What now?"

Twilight's face lit up and she gave him a smile. "You keep attacking them. I'll be your shield."

"Twilight, don't! That's...actually a good idea! Forget what I was saying! Let's do it!"

They tried again, with TD attacking a Windago with a loud "Yol Tor Shul" and Twilight blocking any attacks that came his way. In this fashion, they managed to hold back the icy spirits.

On other hand Joy and Bubble were also doing their best to keep those monsters of ice away. Joy's eyes were shining brightly as he was using his fists to blast the icy spirits while trying to shield Bubble as well. Bubble was really feeling like a burden to them, as she was unable to use magic for combat. Soon she noticed that the coldness of the weather was getting to her coltfriend. The light in his eyes began to flicker as he was losing concentration. As soon as Joy's attacks slowed, the Windagos started to come closer to him. Bubble was really scared. She needed to protect him somehow. Not being able to think of something else, she placed her head on his chest and hugged him tightly and clenched him tightly as well.  
"I'll not let something happen to you." She yelled and attracted the other's attention towards her in the process. Just then, a blinding shockwave released from the couple. When they were able to see again, everyone saw that the human and the mare were still lying there. The blizzard had calmed down to a good extent, but was still raging on. Luckily, there were no more Windagos around them. They could relax, but just for now.

They looked towards the couple. Joy was somewhat awake, as his eyes were still open. But Bubble had completely lost her conscious.

"Bubble!" Joy said, with no reply. "Are you okay sweetheart?" Still no reply. "Please say something."

TD came over and placed his hand on her head. He then looked to Joy.

"She's still alive thankfully, but she's spent much of her strength in her actions to save you. Zach, can you help me please?"

Zach came over to Bubble, a look of concern in his eyes. It must've been getting dark out, because his eyes were now glowing. Yet his eyes didn't look threatening, but rather peaceful and caring. Twilight and Pinkie had rushed over as well. Pinkie's face was one of surprise.

"That was a lot of love!" she exclaimed. "I'll bet every Windago for miles felt that!"

"Will she be alright?" Joy asked worryingly "I'll... never be able to... forgive myself if something... happened to her." Tears were now threatening to leave his eyes.

"She'll be fine," Zach said with a smile. His wings glowed and a small orb of light appeared in front of him. The orb floated inside of Bubble and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

* * *

Bubble felt as if she was floating in an endless void. There was no sound, no color, nothing but a dark void. Soon she started to hear voices like "... be alright", "... sweeetheart" , "... is coming to". Soon the voices became more clear and vivid as she saw herself floating towards a comforting light. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw many blurred faces in front of her. As her vision was cleared, she smiled to see the face of a familiar human in front of her. Her head still hurt from what happened earlier.

"You're alright!" Joy exclaimed and grabbed the mare into an affectionate hug, "You're alright."

"My sweetie!" She said faintly, "A- are you alright?"

Tears began to escape his eyes rapidly as he heard this. She really cared about him more than she did for herself.

"Yeah, I am now." Joy replied and heard a giggle from the mare. TD smiled at the heartwarming sight, then stood to his feet.

"Now then, how to fix this?"

But before he could do anything, Pinkie Pie started tingling and she looked to TD with worry.

"Look out!" she shouted, pushing him out of the way. As a result, a blast hit her and encased her in ice.

"PINKIE!" TD shouted, realizing what had happened. Sadly, almost as quickly, Zach and Twilight were hit with blasts too and the blizzard got more intense. A howling sound was heard, followed by an evil laugh. Several Windagos came forward, one being bigger than the others. He had something attached to his head, which looked like some kind of helmet, but more futuristic. TD gasped in surprise when he saw this.

"Where...how did you get that?" he whispered as the spirits came closer. Their very presence seemed to threaten to freeze the heroes solid. Joy and TD both looked towards that being. Bubble, who was still recovering, was now shocked. Joy was trying his best to keep her safe from the Windagos.

"And now who in Tartarus are you?" Joy said looking at the slightly bigger being.

"I am but a pawn," a voice emitted from the Windago, "but he whom I serve is the player. You have evaded our master's call for too long, Joy Star. Surrender now, and you may yet be spared."

TD was looking to Twilight, a devastated look on his face. It was as if he had forgotten everything else.

"And who the hay is your master?!" Joy was really enraged now, as his voice was becoming more and more intimidating. "And why should I obey you anyways, whoever the heck you are?!"

Only thing that was now on his mind was to protect Bubble at any cost. His eyes began to glow even brighter as an outline of magical wings appeared around his arms.

"You'll suffer for hurting my friends." Joy growled with anger.

Just then, TD looked up at the Windago. An expression of anger had crossed him, but what was surprising to see was the aura he was surrounded by. It was a mixture of light and darkness, order and chaos. Blood red flames engulfed his hands and he stood to his feet. TD spoke, and when he did, his voice came out as three voices, as his personalities all unified under a common cause.

"Your time is up, Windagos," TD said in an intimidating fashion as a burst of energy left his body. The blizzard suddenly cleared as if someone had paused a video, and the ice spirits backed away in fear.

"I have said it before, but I will say it again: NOBODY harms my friends or my family!"

Joy looked towards TD. A smirk creeped on his face, as he knew that TD was now on his rage. He knew enough about TD to tell that he really loved Twilight more than anything. Both heroes were now on their full rage. Joy signaled Bubble to take cover behind him, then bent his knees in attacking position as he took aim at the Windago. Thinking about nothing but the people he cared most for in his life, he focused his energy in his fist and blasted an attack towards the icy spirits. The blast connected and the Windagos let out another howl. TD lifted his arms and a wall of fire appeared that encircled the Windagos, preventing any means of escape. However, when the one with the helmet hurt itself on the fire wall, TD noticed that the blizzard lessened even more.

"Joy!" he hollered, "The one with the helmet is the ringleader! If you take him out, this whole thing goes away! I'll handle the others, you may have the honors of cutting the head off the snake!"

With these instructions, TD made the fire wall force the leader to separate from the rest of the Windagos, and then rushed amongst their ranks, keeping them more than preoccupied at the moment. Joy nodded and looked towards Bubble, who was standing beside him. Joy gave Bubble a look of concern while his eyes shone brightly.

"Sorry my sweetheart!" In a second, Bubble noticed herself inside a golden bubble shield.

"Wait..." Bubble protested, "Please listen..." But Joy didn't listen and made his way towards the ringleader, and kept looking towards him while he got closer. He charged his fists with magic once more.

"Hey, you metal head horse!" Yelled Joy. "Eyes on me!"

"No..." Bubble whispered while trying to find a way out of the force field.

Meanwhile, TD had all but destroyed the majority of the Windagos around him. Only one remained, and he was toying with it for the time being. But Joy only had a second to register this as the metal helmeted Windago stared Joy down with a fearless expression. Or so it seemed, until suddenly for a split second, it's expression turned into one that was more scared, but not of Joy. It seemed to be pleading, begging Joy to release him from something. It's expression then returned to a fearless expression, but as it did a light on the helmet glowed. Joy was a little confused with spirit's action, but it only enraged him even more. Aiming for that Windago, Joy blasted a magical beam at him.

"I don't like when something teases me, you bucking monster." It was more like growling than speaking. Along with this, his eyes' color changed to red along with his glowing fists.

"What..." Bubble was scared to see this form of her Prince. "What has got into you, my sweetie?"

Nearby, TD finally finished off his Windago and turned to Joy. Noticing what he was doing, TD suddenly got a worried expression. Thinking fast, he teleported to the Windago's side and grabbed the helmet. However, when he did, a sudden change started to come over him. He started to look more dark and evil, as if something was corrupting his very being. The Windago let out an evil smirk, but then it's face changed back to the pleading look. This time, Joy heard a voice in his head when it did so.

 _Save us,_ it whispered, it's tone sounding closely related to the howl of a Windago.

"What... who are you?" Joy said, while grunting and trying to get his rage in control.

 _Save us!_ The voice pleaded again, this time the Windago made a howl of pain as if trying to fight something.

"J-Joy," TD managed, seeming to struggle with something. His hands were glowing as he laid it on the helmet. "Joy...the helmet...it's corrupting them...it's trying to corrupt you too...destroy it. I can't...hold it back...much longer..."

Joy noticed TD struggling and rushed towards him. It was really surprising for him to see him like this.

"Don't worry TD," Joy said, taking the helmet from him, "I go... got this."

Joy once again felt his rage growing because of that helmet. It was trying to corrupt him as well. He breathed heavily and looked towards the helmet.

"O-okay!" He grabbed the helmet between his hands "Here goes..." he started to apply pressure on the helmet. He tried to use his magicto break the helmet "F... focus Joy." His hands started to glow again as he used his magical strength in attempt to destroy the dark helmet.

"Joy," TD's voice said, but it sounded like an echoed whisper. "It will try to corrupt every aspect of you. But there's a way to prevent it from consuming you. Focus on a light within you and hold onto it no matter what. That light can be provided by something special in your life...or someone."

 _Someone special in my life._ Joy thought. By now he was sweating from his forehead even in this blizzard. _Someone special._ He closed his eyes and focused on some very special memories of his life.

"Joy!" Bubble called, "You're the best thing in my life! I don't want anything to happen to you! Please be okay..."

All of sudden Joy smiled warmly, much to TD's surprise. In his memories, he saw some of his most pleasureable moments.

 _"...You see what mama can do..."_

 _"...you like your gift.."_

 _"...Mama loves you too, mama's Joy..."_

 _"...I like you too..."_

 _"...I can help you with this..."_

...that kiss... that beautiful night of his thirteenth birthday...

 _"...I love him so much..."_

 _"...we love thee dear nephew..."_

 _"...I love you my sweetie..."_

 _"...I'll never leave you alone..."_

His hand shone even more brightly with golden aura. His body was emitting energy at a high level now.

"Yeah, you got it!" TD shouted gleefully, his own image becoming less corrupt by the minute, "Now let's throw some sauce on this burrito!"

With their combined strength, the two released all their energy into the helmet, causing it to shatter completely. The Windago who had been the victim shook its head, stared at the two humans, then bowed it's head in a gesture that meant, "Thank you," before flying off away from Canterlot. The blizzard was gone, but the snow still remained. TD slumped to the ground, red lighting creeping up his arms.

"Whew!" he exclaimed, "That was hard!"

"Tell me about it." Joy sighed heavily and saw that sky was clear now. "I'm happy that it's all over."

Bubble cleared her throat once again as both humans looked towards her. A pout was on her face. A blush came upon Joy's face as he said. "Give me a sec." He went towards Bubble and touched the force field. The force field vanished and Bubble was now free.  
"I'M GONNA..." Grunting heavily she looked towards Joy. Joy smiled sheepishly before he was knocked over by his seemingly angry marefriend. Bubble gave Joy a look of anger while Joy kept looked towards the mare standing over him with a sheepish smile. Soon Bubble started to chuckle and nuzzled Joy affectionately.

"That was something really... heroic to do. Though I didn't like it when you trapped me inside that field." She gave him a quick kiss and giggled. "You have to make it up for me." She whispered.

"Bubble~" Joy spoke "They're looking..."

TD laughed, then turned his attention to his still-frozen family and friends.

"Well, it seems that I have one more thing left to do," TD said aloud. "There's an old secret to ice-based magic that even I can exploit. Fear and disharmony freezes, but harmony and love thaws."

He lifted his hands and music was heard playing around them [think the music playing in Frozen when Elsa gets rid of the eternal winter]. The bad weather conditions around the place started to disperse, and the ice and snow from it floated up into the sky, where it was turning into a giant snowflake of some kind. The ice on his family and friend melted off to join what was already in the sky. Once all of it had been officially condensed into the object above, he spread his hands out and the snowflake broke apart into clouds of snow particles that flew far away, never to be seen again. Bubble and Joy who were still in their rather awkward position looked at TD did this with amazement and awe.

"Your friend put up a rather interesting show." Bubble said

"I must admit, his magic is rather unorthodox, but really amazing as well." Joy spoke.

Bubble giggled as she came off of him and Joy got up on his feet. They both made their way towards where Princess Twilight, her son Zach, and Pinkie were coming to. TD was already standing there, after doing that amazing show of chaos.

As soon as Twilight came to, she threw her front hooves and her wings around TD, who returned the embrace while down on one knee, due to their size differences. Zach helped Pinkie Pie to her feet and they hugged each other tightly as well. Pinkie still had yet to put up her disguise so her Changeling features were still visible, but it didn't seem to matter; in fact, it actually made the scene more beautiful to watch. After they released from their respective embraces, TD stood to full height and said, "Well, let's go check on the residents inside, shall we? The interiors have returned to normal, and I'd just love to see the looks on their faces when they register what's happened."

Twilight smiled and shook her head in amusement, Zach flew in place above the ground, and Pinkie gave an excited squeal.

"Maybe we should throw them a party to celebrate our victory!"

Joy nodded to TD and they both headed inside the palace.

* * *

Inside the Castle, Celestia was in her chambers standing beside her bed. The ice around her and in her room had just melted and she was now able to move herself.  
"Joy!" She yelled as she came to. She looked towards the time, and she was shocked that she was frozen in ice for almost a whole day. She galloped towards the chambers' door. Her pace was significantly slow due to the cold.

"I pray that my son and the others may alright." She said to herself as she came out of the door. Upon coming out, she noticed that her royal guards and maids were also getting up after the ice around them had melted.

"Princess, are you alright." Asked a Solar guard who happened to be standing beside her.

"I'm alright," Celestia said "Go and check out my sister's room. Tell me if she's okay."

"Your highness!" He saluted her and went towards Luna's chamber

Meanwhile Celestia went towards Joy's room to see if he and Bubble were alright. To her shock neither Joy nor Bubble were in the room.

"No!" She shouted as she rushed inside the room, "Joy, Bubble, where are you my dears?!"

She came beside her son's bed and threw her face on his pillow and tears started to flow from her eyes.

"No they took away my child. They took him away." She started to sob.

"Ah, Tia!" Luna spoke from behind. Celestia looked towards her sister. Beside her was her niece. Both were really worried and confused. Celestia trotted towards her sister and grab her in a crushing hug of sadness.

"Oh, Lulu." Said Celestia.

"What happened aunt Celestia?" Asked Cadence.

"Those Harmony damned Windagos!" She exclaimed, "They froze everypony and everything to ice." She sobbed nuzzling deeper in Luna's chest "And they took away my little Joy and his filly friend."

Tears came into Luna's and Cadence's eyes as well. They started to sob as Luna wrapped her foreleg her sister while Cadence nuzzle closer to her aunts.

"That can't be," Cadence whined, "But why did they take him away?"

"Try to keep yourself... together Tia," said Luna, "I still... can't believe this... happened."

Just then, they heard someone calling from the direction of the throne room.

"Hello? Hello! Anyone home? Well, the place looks deserted! I think we should get out of here!"a male voice said. It sounded familiar...

"William, why do you always make it sound like you've given up?" a female's voice responded to the male's voice. It was Twilight's voice, but is sounded different somehow. Perhaps...older? As they heard the voices they began to wonder. Celestia, and Luna looked up. There were still tears in their eyes, but they had felt something strange right then. They both sensed a familiar dark aura. The only one of it's kind.

"Is that..?" Luna spoke up.

"I hope so..." Celestia said with hope in her voice "It means..."

Cadence looked towards them with confusion. "What is it aunt Luna and Celestia?"

They both smiled faintly and looked towards Cadence. There was a light of hope in their smiles. Cadence was still confused.

"C'mon, my child," Celestia said, as all three of them headed towards the throne room.

"But what happened all of sudden?" Cadence asked as she was coming behind her aunts. She was still sobbing with sorrow. In a while, all three of them were standing in front of throne room. Taking a sigh Celestia opened the door. What they saw was one of the greatest happiness for them, as well as a scene of good humour.  
Joy was standing with Bubble while two guards were giving them protection. And TD, Twilight, Zach, and changeling Pinkie were surrounded by solar and lunar guards. TD was just chuckling at their silliness.

"Stay back you impostors!" Said the guard while looking towards Princess Twilight.

"Please understand," Twilight said, trying to reason with them, "We are not impostors."

"Yeah, we just came from another universe," Pinkie said dramatically, "Through space and time to save your world. It's actually becoming quite a norm fro us at this rate-"

"Silence!" Yelled a lunar guard.

"Put your weapons down boys, before someone gets hurt," TD said calmly, but in a tone that warned them that he would attack if necessary.

"Please," Zach explained, "We are not your enemies."

"Guards!" Celestia called.

"Your highness, we found Prince safe and sound but there are also these impostors as well," said a lunar guard.

"Good job!" Luna stated, "Thou can leave the rest to us."

Hearing this, the guards began to leave the throne room leaving Joy, Bubble and the rest of them alone with the three Alicorn Princesses. Joy and Bubble rushed towards them. Celestia used her magic and grabbed her son in a crushing hug.

"Thanks heavens you're alright." She said, "I thought they took you away."

Soon Cadence and Bubble joined the sweet hug.

"I thought I'd never be able to see my sweet little cousin and his fiancee' again," Cadence sobbed happily as trails of tears left her eyes. Luna smiled and walked towards the human of Chaos.

"Nice to see thee again, TD," said Luna, looking towards him.

"Good to see you too, Luna," TD said kindly. "Though I have a complaint about the management here. Those guards are WAY too paranoid."

Twilight giggled, then looked to her mentor's alternate self with a smile.

"Hello, Princess Celestia," she greeted warmly. "It's good to see you safe and sound."

"Hiya! I'm Pinkie Pie from an alternate universe!" Pinkie greeted excitedly, "I'm a Changeling queen back home! It's amazing! Hey, wanna see me turn into you?"

Pinkie transformed her image into Luna, then Celestia, then back to Changeling form. TD just chuckled. Bubble then looked towards Celestia. She was very excited to tell her the story about their victory.

"Princess Celestia, Joy saved all of Equestria this time!" Bubble said, "There were windagos, and snow everywhere..."

Joy stopped her by booping her playfully.

"How about a little later, my dear Bubble?"

Bubble gave him a cute smile while tilting her head. "Alright my sweetie."

"Is that true?" Celestia asked Joy, nuzzling his head with her hoof, "You really saved Equestria?"

"Well, not all alone mom," Joy corrected, "TD, and his friends helped me a lot."

At this, Celestia kissed his forehead and hugged him. Cadence giggled to see this. Then she looked towards TD and Twilight.

"Glad to see you TD, and Princess Twilight," She looked towards the others, "And you too friends. My cousin told me a lot about you and it's good to meet all of you in person."

"Nice to meet you too, Cadence," TD said politely. He then asked, "Tell me, was there anyone else who may have been staying here that we should know about when this happened? Maybe your Twilight and her friends?"

"No, no, Twilight was in Ponyville when all this happened," Cadence said "But as far as I know, she probably must be coming here any time."

"THAT'S A DISASTER!" suddenly a masculine voice came from the upper floor.

"God, is that you?" TD asked in mock stupidity. Twilight just rolled her eyes, but her smile suggested that she was slightly amused.

"That was cousin Blueblood." Said Joy, "I must go and see what's going on there."

He said and went upstairs to see his cousin. Blueblood was there looking around in upsetness.

"What's the matter Blueblood?"

"You're here cousin. Here look at this disaster!" Blueblood shouted, showing his precious sets of noble clothes, "They're ruined now! They shouldn't get wet in order to preserve their natural look! They're meant to be dry clean for heaven's sake!"

Joy gave him a deadpan look. "What's the big deal about that cousin? Aren't you happy that you're alright?"

"Big deal?" He snapped, "They were antiques you know! Branded and hoof-stiched! Do you understand how important they were to me?"

Joy took a sigh. "I'm going back in throne room. You're welcome to join me if you want," Joy said and came back downstairs. He went back in throne room and was chuckling lightly. He told them about Blueblood ranting and upsetting over his precious clothes. Everypony made a laugh about this.

"Oh, same ol' Blueblood," Said Cadence "It's impossible to change him."

"Ah Blueblood," TD said with a chuckle, "No wonder they cut you out of the show early."

At the confused looks of most of the individuals in the room, Zach gave them a look that meant, "Just roll with it."

shrugging normally, Joy passed TD a smile. He never understood his unorthodox talk neither did he try too hard. As Zach said, he and everypony other just rolled with that.

"Princess Celestia, we came here as fast as we..." They looked behind to see a group of six ponies known as the Elements and a dragon, "...could." Twilight was surprised when she saw everything looking normal, except that there were some new faces. One of them was pretty familiar.

"Who are they?" Rarity whispered to Applejack.

"I've no darn idea idea about this," Applejack replied, "But that purple Alicorn looks just like Twilight."

"Is that me?" Pinkie said looking straight towards alternate Pinkie. The Changeling Pinkie gave a gasp of delight.

"Oh my gosh!" she screeched excitedly, "It's an alternate me! Wow, I'm looking good!"

Zach chuckled at his aunt's antic, then addressed the majority of the group calmly.

"Hello, my name's Zachary, but you may call me Zach. Pleased to meet you!"

Twilight smiled at her younger counterpart.

"Oh, I remember when I was like that!" she said aloud. "It brings back such fond memories..."

TD looked to the Mane Six of Joy's universe and said, "I know, it's a bit disorienting at first. Don't try to take it all in at once."

"So you're from an alternate world or something. Right?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah!" the Changeling stated. "It's really cool there! Did I mention that I'm a monarch among the Changelings?"

"This is awesome. Am I also some kind of monarch in your world?" Asked Rainbow.

"No," Zach stated, "but you _are_ practically in charge of the Wonderbolts, and you and your friends are all important leaders to some extent."

"An alternate and future me?" Twilight said as a bright smile came upon her face. "It's really amazing!" She came closer to the Princess Twilight, looking towards her in excitement, "Oh, I've so many questions! Such as..." and Twilight started to ask her question after question while floating aquill and a scroll in front of her. Celestia giggled to see her students usual attitude.

"Some things never change," She said to herself.

"Hey!" the Changeling Pinkie said to her pony self, "I was gonna throw a huge party to celebrate our victory over the Windagos! Wanna help?"

"A party!" Yelled the other Pinkie, "Yeah, of course! A super duper double Pinkie Pie party!"

TD laughed. "This is why I fell in love with the show!"

* * *

The party was going to be held in the Castle's main hall. Both Pinkies took hold of the party planning. This was party was going to be super crazy, as TD and his family were there as well. Joy and Bubble were really excited about the upcoming party. TD seemed really excited himself, though he showed it through his use of Chaos magic here and there to make things more convenient for the party.

"Lemme see," he said to himself, "Should I put the chocolate fountain here or over near the dessert table?"

"Why not one here and one near the dessert table?" Suddenly Pinkie appeared in front of TD, "I'm sure nopony will mind that."

She gave TD a huge smile and then hopped off singing to herself as she joined the other Pinkie. TD chuckled and did as he was told. He knew that when it came down to parties, it was best not to question the Super Party Planner's logic. The few who did usually didn't like how she reacted. Needless to say, the party was set up rather quickly and the invitations almost instantly, thanks to Zach's effort to help out as well.

"Whew! This better be worth the effort," TD said later as they waited on the guests.

"When are aunt Pinkie Pie's parties not worth it?" Zach asked his father, "Especially when there's two of her."

"Point taken." TD nodded and took out a pipe. But instead of smoke, all that came out were colorful bubbles.

"Because smoking is hazardous to your health," TD said aloud to those reading this story. This caused many of those already there to raise an eyebrow at him, but otherwise no questions were asked. The well known DJ, Vinyl Scratch also came there to make the party even more amazing. Other than her, Joy's friends in Canterlort were also there. And when all the preparations were done, everypony was standing in the main hall. All eyes were locked on the stage waiting for two certain ponies.

"Alright everypony!" Pinkie said as she came on the stage, "Who's here is ready to PARTY?!" she said aloud as crowd cheered loudly.

"So let's get this party started!" said the other Pinkie, magically appearing on the stage, "Hit it!"

And music was started along with a disco ball and the party began. TD particularly seemed attached to either the dance floor or the food tables whenever he wasn't around Twilight~ sorry, HIS Twilight. Zach on the other hand seemed more content to chatting to some ponies off to the side, many of which were actually grown ups who were surprised at how mature and wise he was for his age. TD's Twilight tended to stay near her alternate versions of her friends and herself, but occasionally joined TD on the dance floor, especially when they pulled up a slow number. In truth, they were mediocre compared to everyone else, but neither seemed to care. Often times, they ended up on the ceiling or floating several feet above the heads of the guests, much to the surprise of many who were watching. Zach just giggled whenever this happened, but not unkindly. On other hand, Joy also appeared on the dance floor whenever he wasn't taking any refreshments or talking with his friends. Joy as always looked a little funny to others, but as for Bubble she looked really cute while dancing along with her fiance. They also appeared at the food table for some delicacies from time to time. Several times, Joy was caught up by his enthusiastic fans while dancing.

"Hey handsome!" said a mare with a light purple coat and pink mane, "Wanna dance with me?"

"Excuse me!" Bubble was standing in front of the mare face to face, "He's already taken so find somepony else to dance with."

The mare huffed and went away. Joy gave Bubble a playful look. Bubble chuckled over this and said, "They're just meanie nobles, who never wanna lose a chance with royalty."

Joy just chuckled about this. Bubble was still the same ol' filly who loved him like nopony else.

"Well, how's this for a party, am I right?" TD asked them, as he and Princess Twilight managed to get closer to the two. Even though her size had increased over the years back in TD's universe, Twilight was still small enough to have to stand on her front hooves to compete with her husband, but it didn't seem to be a hindrance to either. Some ways away, Zach had decided to start dancing with a small crowd cheering him on. He was actually pretty good himself, much better than TD was without magic.

"Way to go Zach!" Bubble cheered for the colt, "You're doing good." Some thought came to Bubble's mind as she looked towards Twilight and TD and then towards Zach. Looking towards Joy, who was enjoy a glass of fruit punch, a sweet picture came to her mind. She giggled to herself at this.

 _I hope that day comes soon enough._

"What's so funny sweetheart?" Bubble snapped open her eyes and looked towards Joy. "Daydreaming about something funny?" Joy spoke playfully.

"No, not funny, but really sweet and joyful in fact." She replied in daze, giving a deep long kiss to Joy, which he returned despite the fact they were becoming the center of attention. She broke the kiss and said, "Just like yourself, my sweetie."

All of sudden, a gasp left many mouths as the guests saw this. Whispers began to stir in the air. But as for the two lovebirds, they really didn't care. TD and Twilight both smiled knowingly, for they had guessed what was on Bubble's mind. Then TD suddenly got an amused look as he looked past the two lovebirds.

"Looks like my Pinkie Pie just can't resist pulling off a few favors for your own, Joy," TD stated as they peered at the two. TD's Pinkie was changing her form into various other ponies at the request of her pony doppelganger, all the while making fun of them from time to time.

"Hee hee! Do Joy now!" the one Pinkie shouted. The Changeling grinned, and in a burst of pink flames another Prince Joy stood before her.

"Hopefully, that doesn't become a problem," Princess Twilight said with a giggle.

"Wow," Joy chuckled, looking towards his doppelganger. "I never considered looking at the duplicate of myself. It's really awesome."

Joy went towards his duplicate and stood in front of "him." Joy made some movement which Changeling Pinkie easily mirrored playfully. Bubble was looking towards them in a little confusion.

"Now that's something... different." Bubble spoke, "Joy..."

"Yes?" Both of them looked towards her, making her even more confused. Looking towards the expression on Bubble's face, Changeling Pinkie chuckled and changed back to her real form. Joy went back to Bubble and giggled a bit at her reaction.

"That was just... strange." She chuckled.

"I know..." Joy replied

TD smiled, then looked to a watch that appeared on his wrist.

"Our time is growing short here in this universe, but we still got time for one last thing," TD said. He looked to Vinyl and gave her two thumbs up, which was apparently a signal to her to pull off some favor for him. The music suddenly slowed and the lights dimmed a bit. Princess Twilight blushed a bit when this happened, for she knew what was coming next.

"May I have this next dance, my Princess?" TD asked Twilight, a loving gleam in his eyes.

"You most certainly may," she replied, standing on her hind legs to level herself with him. The two slowly danced their way back to the main floor while everyone either watched or joined them with their own couples. Zach came over to Joy and Bubble and heaved a sigh as he watched his parents dance.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said aloud. Because of the lowered lighting, his draconic eyes glowed softly, giving off their gentle and caring look. Yet another thing seemed to be there tonight: an expression of love for his parents.

"It certainly is dear." Said Bubble, as she leaned herself closer to Joy

"Yeah, the real heartwarming moments of love," Joy agreed, nuzzling her mane softly "That reminds me..." Joy whispered something in her ear.

"Sure," she giggled "This is the most perfect chance for that."

Joy stood up and looked towards Bubble as they both headed towards the stage. And now Bubble took hold of the mic.

"Enjoying so far my friends?" Cheers arose from everywhere in the hall. Then Joy came in front of the mic and smiled cheerfully.

"Now before we wrap up the party, how about a song by your melodious singer Bubble Heart?" Cheers rose once again.  
Bubble magically summoned her mic and held it in front of her while Joy took hold of the stage mic. Then Joy signaled the DJ to play their music. And then as the music started, both started humming along with the music.

"This one's dedicated to that one love in your life," Bubble said, and Joy started to sing:

 **Joy:** You~ _and I~_  
 _We're syphonies and fire works_  
 _Exploding in the sky_  
 _With you~_  
 _I'm alive_  
 _It's like all the missing pieces of my heart_  
 _They finally collide_  
 _So stop time_  
 _Right here in moonlight_  
 _Cause I don't ever wanna close my eyes_  
 _Without you I feel broke like I'm half of a whole_  
 _Without you I got no_  
 _Hoof to hold_  
 _Without you_  
 _I'm just a sad song_  
 _I'm just a sad song_

 **Bubble:** With _you I fall_  
 _It's like leaving all my past behind_ _silhouette_  
 _Upon the wall_  
 _So stop time_  
 _Right here in moon~ light_  
 _Cause I don't ever wanna close my eyes_

[And then the same lines again, till the sad song]

 **Together:** You're _my favorite melody_  
 _the only harmony_  
 _I wanna hear_  
 _You're my favorite part of me_  
 _With you standing next to me_  
 _I got nothing to fear_

 **Bubble:** _Without you_  
 _I feel broke_  
 _Like I'm half_  
 _of the whole_

 **Joy:** _Without you_  
 _I got no_  
 _Hoof to hold_

 **All together:** _Without you  
_ _I feel torn  
_ _Like a sail in a storm~  
_ _Without you  
_ _I'm just a sad song~  
_ _I'm just a sad song~_

They finished the song as all the hall was still humming the tune. Twilight nuzzled up against TD lovingly, and he returned it where they were, oblivious to the crowd below. Both Pinkies shouted with joy up at the human and his alicorn wife, while Zach simply smiled with a faraway glance in his eyes.

"This is probably one of the best nights of my life," TD said to Twilight.

"It's definitely one of mine," she replied, giving him another nuzzle as they slowly descended to the floor.

After this big finish of the song, Bubble and Joy hugged each other affectionately. They were chuckling loudly while they nuzzled each other. The crowd cheered for them as well after the song. Joy and Bubble also clapped for the other couple. Then they looked towards each other.

"Well done Joy!" said Bubble, "You're getting better at this song."

"I doubt that I can ever be as good as you, my dear Bubble," Joy chuckled. He then turned back to the crowd.

"Thank you so much my dear friends!" Joy called as he held Bubble's hoof and they both slightly bowed their heads in front of the crowd, "Hope you enjoyed the party!"

TD and Twilight gave their applause as well, then suddenly a large portal appeared in one corner of the room.

"Well, looks like our ride is here," TD said to Joy. "I'm sorry we can't stay longer friend. If you have anything you'd like to ask, better say it now."

"I just wanted to say... thank you." Joy said "Thank you so much." He shake hands with his TD "One more little favor my friend. Say my hello to Diana."

"Goodbye Twilight, goodbye TD!" Bubble said "You aren't as bad as I thought."

TD smiled. "I knew you'd eventually warm up to me." He gave her a shake of his hand, then looked to the crowd before him. "Farewell my friends!"

The three Princesses plus the Elements said goodbye to this unlikely yet lovely couple, waving towards TD, Twilight, Zach, and Changeling Pinkie for one last time before they left.

* * *

While traveling through the portal, TD was thinking back on Joy and the strange happenings involving him.

 _It seems that someone wants to harm him, but who it is I can't know for sure yet. But why go for Joy? Unless they are trying to compromise my own position. Did they know that I'd get involved? More importantly, which "they" is responsible for this?_

TD sighed and looked back over his shoulder at the universe he was leaving. Only one thing was certain to him for now.

Joy's story had yet to end, and his involvement was only a foreshadowing of things to come...

* * *

 **This took forever, but I enjoyed doing it! Thank you once again _Admirer Boy_ for your help with Joy Star and his friends from his universe!**

 **Review, follow, and I'll catch y'all later!**

 **Peace!**

 **Credit for lyrics goes to,** **"We the Kings: Sad Song"**


	33. Vampire Child and Hornet's Passing

**Hiya! Sorry I haven't uploaded in a bit. I've hit a bit of a writer's block recently and have no idea when it may go away. For now, you'll have to be patient with me.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

A small pony-like figure rushed across the open nightly terrain of Equestria towards Ponyville, trying desperately to escape his pursuers. Occasionally he would glance behind him to see how far behind they were, only to find that his enemies were still hot on his heels. The figure looked about him for a way out of his predicament, but found nothing to save him. At last, his pursuers caught up to him and forced him to the ground as the moon shone over them, revealing the figures in question. The pursued was definitely a pony, an earth pony by the looks of it. He appeared to be ten years old, still a colt. He was grey in color with a black mane and tail. His Cutie Mark was a picture of a set of footprints with a magnifying glass next to them. Only one of his eyes seemed able to see anything out of it and was red in color. The other eye, his left eye, had a bandage over it, for he had been wounded in that area not too long ago. His pursuers were a small group of Diamond Dogs, and they were roughly trying to drag him away. The pony fought back desperately, but to no avail. His energy was spent and resistance was futile.

"Please..." he whimpered, "Please...let me go..."

The only response was a loud laugh from the dogs and one of their paws raised upwards as if to strike the pony.

"Put the colt down," a voice suddenly commanded from behind. Startled, the dogs looked behind them to see a blood-red unicorn staring at them with a stern look. A pair of dark sunglasses covered his eyes, but he looked mad nonetheless. The dogs noticed that he was the only one around and gave a laugh.

"And what are you going to do about it?" one of the dogs laughed. The unicorn pulled off his sunglasses and both colt and dogs let out a gasp of surprise upon seeing the glowing draconic eyes that were revealed.

"I'll give you one more chance," the pony said again, his eyes giving off an intimidating glare, "Leave the colt alone, or suffer the consequences."

The dogs put the colt down and started to encircle the unicorn, though some seemed a bit hesitant to do so. The unicorn closed his eyes as the dogs charged, then opened them again when they were within arm's reach. As soon as his eyes opened again, a shockwave of energy erupted from his body and flung the attackers several feet away from him. The unicorn gave a creepy smile and his horn glowed. Suddenly, all of the dogs levitated in front of the unicorn, whose voice had changed into something dark and evil sounding. The dogs whimpered in fear as the unicorn spoke.

"If I ever catch you around these parts again, I will have you all muzzled! Now, get out of my sight!"

The unicorn threw the dogs away from him, and they scampered to their feet and off into the night. The unicorn waited until they were gone, then turned to the colt, who was looking up at him both in fear and awe.

"Are you alright?" the unicorn asked. His tone of voice had returned to normal and was filled with concern, but his eyes still gave off an intimidating expression. The colt didn't reply, earning a sigh from the unicorn. Suddenly, in a flash of light, the unicorn was gone and in his place stood a Changeling with orange eyes, a red exoskeleton, and yellow wings. The colt gasped in surprise, but wasn't scared of the creature that now stood before him. Somehow he knew that the Changeling before him and the unicorn from before were the same being in a different form. The figure looked to the colt again, this time his eyes didn't look intimidating and an actual concerned expression could be seen in his pupil-less eyes.

"Are you alright?" the figure asked again. The colt nodded his head.

"Yeah," he managed, "Thank you for saving me."

"You're lucky I was still awake at this hour," the figure said kindly. He then noticed the bandage over the colt's eye.

"We'd better have that looked at," he said, "but the doc is asleep and I don't want to wake him yet. Why don't you come over to my place? We can get you patched up there."

"That's very kind of you sir," the colt replied, "but it's not necessary. I don't want to be a burden to you."

"Not at all," the figure said with a smile, "I insist. It's the least I could do for you."

"Uh...well, thanks again!" the colt said. "Thank you, Mister...uh-?"

The figure smiled. "They call me TD, kid."

"TD?" the colt asked in surprise, "But aren't you a human?"

"Usually," TD answered, "but I occasionally choose to come looking like something else. What's your name?"

The colt paused for a second, then replied with, "Tracker. My friends call me Tracker."

TD looked at him for a moment, then chuckled.

"Even after all these years in Equestria, I still am not used to the names you ponies pull up on me." He smiled. "Well then, Tracker, let's get that eye looked at."

* * *

Tracker had been in many different places that dazzled him, but never did he dream of seeing the inside of the Castle of Friendship with his own eyes. He thought that it was absolutely beautiful to see, despite the dim lighting. TD, now in human form, ushered him through the halls into a small room that contained a cauldron and his most recent creation, a Palantir. Tracker heard TD mutter a word that was unknown to him and a small medical bed appeared from out of a wall.

"Now then," TD said as if this was an everyday thing, "let's see that wound of yours."

Tracker nodded and sat on the bed, then turned to TD. He removed his bandages from his eye and TD grimaced. A large cut ran across his eye and his skin was bloodied badly. TD realized that the wound was caused by a weapon of some kind, possibly a sword. He looked at Tracker and said, "Well, the bad news is that you may lose your eye. The good news is that I can easily fix this. Now hold still please. This will only be a moment."

TD pulled out a vial made of diamonds and opened the top. When he did, a sweet smell came from the bottle's opening that almost made the colt feel giddy. TD chuckled at his reaction, for that's how most sentient beings acted upon experiencing this concoction for the first time. He carefully placed the vial's opening over the wound and a few drops fell into it and caused some steam to appear as well. The colt winced a little from the pain, but eventually he noticed a change. He now could see from his other eye again. It was good as new. Tracker looked at a nearby mirror as if to confirm what he had experienced was real. Only to remember one particular detail right when he did.

He had no reflection.

TD noticed immediately and gave a smile. "Yeah, I kinda pulled a 'two birds, one stone' scenario on you. I healed your wounds, but I also confirmed my suspicions. You see, in a way, I can sense the power that certain creatures give off, and you gave off a unique one that I recognized. Which brings up the question: what did you do to earn the wrath of those Diamond Dogs, vampire?"

Tracker looked as if he had just been smacked in the face. He turned his stunned gaze to TD.

"How- how did you know?" Tracker asked. He rightly assumed that trying to lie to TD was pointless at this point. TD smiled and began his explanation.

"Your coat, while indeed a grey color, is also a more faded shade of grey than it should be. You have no heartbeat, which I can tell through my magic, and your skin is not as warm as it would be with a living pony. Your eyes are red in color, the same color of red that is usually only associated with vampires regarding eye color. Even then, the only way you'd have such a color of eyes is if you're either a newborn vampire, enraged, or simply blood deprived. The energy you're giving off suggests that you've been a vampire for quite some time, so you're obviously not a newborn, and last I checked you aren't in an enraged state. Therefore, you must be blood deprived. Also, the potion I used to heal you is made from the juice of a Fire Flower, a plant that is created by a drop of sunlight. As such, it will heal vampires like it does other creatures, but it will make the wounds steam as they heal due to your vampire skin reacting slightly to the properties of the sun within it. Then of course, there's the mirror, but that was simply a finishing touch to be absolutely certain."

Tracker was surprised at the genius behind this deduction and looked at TD with slight worry in his eyes. Seeing this, TD gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna harm you or anything, and I promise that you can stay. But if I may ask again, why were you being pursued by the dogs? What did you do to earn their wrath?"

Relieved that TD wasn't going to kill him or anything, Tracker said, "I'm actually not sure why they attacked me. I didn't do anything wrong last I checked, and I never revealed my true identity to any of them while I was around their area. I just wanted to sleep there for the day, but they came up and attacked me. At first I wasn't scared, for as you may know there's not much that can actually hurt a vampire. But then one of them pulled out a sword and...it actually hurt me. They all had ones just like it, so I ran. I've been on the run from them for three days now and- I...uh-"

"What? What's wrong?" TD inquired. Tracker looked to him with a desperate expression.

"I'm starving! They prevented me from finding any sufficient food sources, and it's almost driving me feral! I've been trying to hold myself back for awhile now so that I wouldn't attack you!"

TD raised a hand to signal him to calm down, then walked over to a cabinet next to the cauldron. Opening it up, he put away the one vial and pulled out another one with a paper label that showed a skull with bat wings.

"Lucky for you, I happen to have the solution for such occasions," TD said calmly as he handed the vial to Tracker, "I have traveled to many different worlds and as such I have collected plenty of souvenirs and equipment. This vial I have specifically kept aside for those that require such forms of nourishment."

Tracker, realizing what he meant, pulled the lid off the vial and gave it a quick sniff. The smell inside confirmed his guess of what it was. With a thankful look to the Lord of Chaos, the colt took the vial and gulped down the red liquid inside. His hunger subsided immediately and he felt much better, like he had received a much-needed energy boost. Beaming another smile at TD, Tracker handed the vial over to the human, who calmly walked over to the cauldron and filled the vial to the brim with whatever was inside the bubbling pot. He then corked it back up and placed inside the cabinet once more. TD looked back to Tracker and noticed that his eyes had slowly changed from red to green.

"Thanks again for your help TD," Tracker said with a smile, "How can I ever pay you back?"

"I only wish that I could do more at the moment," TD replied. He then opened the door to the room and said, "You look a bit tired, despite your current state. Come with me, please."

Tracker nodded and followed the chaotic entity through the halls again and into yet another room. This room was rather small and dark looking, but there was a single object in the center of the room that was rather familiar to the young vampire. TD gave a shrug as he showed off the large wooden coffin.

"I have been thinking ahead on some admittedly slim possibilities over the years. Becoming a vampire is one of them, although this could also double as the coffin I'd be buried in should I permanently die in this world. However, it appears that you may need this more than I ever will."

Tracker was surprised and in awe as he lifted the lid to the coffin. The inside was lined with a soft velvet fabric and it was rather comfy looking. TD evidently liked the idea of being comfortable even in death. Tracker looked to TD and gave him another smile.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted. It was a lot for him to take in at the moment. TD chuckled.

"Say nothing then. Now, you must be exhausted, despite the time of day it is for you. Get some rest, friend. I'll see you in the morning. Or rather, the evening if you'd prefer."

"Any time of day is good enough for me," Tracker said as he climbed into the coffin, "I never have had a preference of the time of day I move about in. I just sleep when I'm tired and wake when I'm finished sleeping."

"In that case, I'll see you when you wake again," TD replied. He closed the door to the room and heard the coffin lid shut on the other side when he did. TD let out a sigh as he walked through the halls back to his own bedroom. Originally, the reason he had been awake was because of another vision that had plagued his sleep in the night. He had gone out onto the balcony to recollect his thoughts and stare up at his beloved homeplanet as well. He had been in his pony form when he had done so, and as a result he had heard the colt's plight from afar due to his form's intensified senses. Naturally, being of a helping nature, TD had decided to check out the commotion and lend a hand. Now that he was alone, he started to realize the intensity of his actions.

"I have just brought a vampire, a creature of the night, into my home. I have no idea where he's from, why he's here, or for what reason he truly was pursued for. All I know is that he seems to be a good kid. Or is that even a proper name to give to him? How old is he truly?"

TD sighed as he reached his bedroom, where Twilight still lay fast asleep. He climbed into the bed next to her and felt her nuzzle up against his chest as he pulled her close to him. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

Tomorrow, he would start looking for the answers he sought after.

* * *

Deep underground, the Diamond Dogs who had attacked Tracker were inside a large cavern they had dug out with their digging abilities arguing among themselves.

"It's all your fault!" one shouted, "You should've hit him with the silver trap in the first place, then we wouldn't have had to chase him down!"

"Well, you should've shot him with the crossbow!" another yelled.

"You should've swung your sword better! Who trained you?!"

They argued like this for a few more seconds, then suddenly a roar was heard in the tunnels behind them. The hair on their backs straightened in fear and the dogs turned slowly around to see the figure who had spoken. A large reptilian creature stood in the shadows behind them, his glowing green eyes glaring at them menacingly.

"Where is the boy now?!" the creature demanded in a deep voice. Trembling, one of the dogs inched his way forward.

"H-h-he's in Ponyville, master," the dog whimpered. "He was saved by a unicorn. We tried to-"

A large tail suddenly shot forward and grabbed the dog by the throat and he gasped for breath.

"Don't try," the creature snarled, "Do. Now, if you don't want to become my next meal, I suggest that you find him soon. My stomach has been growling for several days now, and I'm about to reach my limits. Now, go!"

The creature dropped the dog, who rushed off into the darkness of the tunnels with his brothers close behind, yelping the whole way. The creature watched them go, then growled.

"You will pay, little vampire," he snarled to himself, "You will pay for what you've done to me."

* * *

"You brought in a what?!" Twilight exclaimed the next morning. TD sighed as he listened to her scolding. This was more or less the reaction he had expected from her, although he was surprised that she hadn't blasted him into a wall yet.

"Vampire," TD repeated, "And relax! He's not gonna hurt us."

"Relax?!" Twilight's horn glowed dangerously, "William, we have a five-year-old filly in this castle who can barely fend for herself! The only thing keeping her from getting a bite to the neck in the middle of the night is a long hallway and a shut door!"

"Correction: a long hallway, a shut door, two beings of Chaos, a protective alicorn mother, and the various magic traps I placed near each bedroom," TD pointed out. "I seriously doubt that he'd be willing to go through all that trouble over one filly, unless he's desperate."

Twilight started to object, but then thought it over. TD was right; the possibilities were very slim that he'd actually be able to get anywhere near Diana. Still, while she believed her husband, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. The last time she had gotten anywhere close to a vampire was when TD had brought their world and several others together and they had met the Vampire Queen of Ooo, Marceline. She may have been friendly, but it had still been a bit disturbing to be near the real thing. But then again, Timberwolves and Changelings both had been creatures she once feared. Now, she was friends with both species...or at least one of them from their species in the case of the Timberwolves. Twilight looked to her husband and sighed.

"Okay, I trust you but I'm still worried. Did you at least get him something to...? Well, you know."

"Last night, before he went to bed," TD answered, "In case you're wondering, he's in the room where I stored the coffin."

"Fitting," Twilight muttered. She started to walk out of the room, but stopped at the door to turn back to her husband.

"How do we explain this one to the others?" she asked. "I mean the kids."

"Zach will understand, although it's probably best to keep the details vague in Diana's case," TD suggested, "As for feeding him, leave that to me. This is not the first time I've had a similar situation occur. In fact, I once became a vampire for a couple years. Don't ask how that went for me, because honestly I'd rather avoid that one. Let's just say that I crossed a few lines during that time and leave it at that."

Twilight nodded, then walked out of the room completely. TD waited for a moment more before leaving himself. Even though he was convinced that the kid wasn't a bad pony, he still had one thought on his mind.

 _I hope I'm right about this._

 **Some time later...**

It didn't take long for Zach to learn about the newcomer, as well as his true identity and such. He took the news well and even did a quick confirmation of his own to be reassured that the young vampire was not evil. Diana didn't learn about Tracker until breakfast, and even then she wasn't told yet about his vampire origins. Tracker was a bit hesitant at first to interact with the group, but soon opened up to them. He didn't have to worry about food, for he was still full from last night and TD even covered for him by explaining that he had eaten already. This seemed satisfactory enough of an answer for the curious of mind and the morning went by without incident. Afterwards, the rest of their friends were introduced to Tracker. By Pinkie's request, the vampire soon found himself in a tour of Ponyville, where Pinkie gave him the whole deal per usual. Tracker was amazed at all he saw, but his amazement increased when he bumped into somepony familiar with Pinkie and the others in terms of family.

It had happened when he was walking by the boutique with Pinkie Pie. Being in awe of the building itself, Tracker hadn't paid attention to where he was going and bumped into someone. Rubbing his head, he looked up to find himself staring into the eyes of the filly he had bumped into. However, they were like eyes he had never seen before. They were purple in color, but there were no whites or pupils to be seen. Instead, they were spirals that seemed to go on for eternity, almost like an endless vortex. Tracker was in awe at what he saw before him, mainly because he never thought that such exotic details could be found among ponies. The filly known as Screwball sat up and helped him to his feet.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! I didn't mean to-"

"No no!" Tracker stopped her with a friendly smile, "You're fine. It was my fault entirely."

Screwball gave him a curious look. "I don't believe I've seen you here in Ponyville before."

"Oh...I'm new here," Tracker replied with a smile. Screwball smiled back. She could tell if someone was lying to her, and thus gather some info off someone depending on their intentions. So far, this colt hadn't lied to her yet, but she could sense something about him that made her curious. She figured that she already knew what it was, but decided to ask more about him first.

"When did you arrive here in Ponyville?" Screwball asked.

"Last night, actually," Tracker answered, "I was being chased by some Diamond Dogs, but then TD came and saved me from them."

"Oh, so you've already met my godfather?"

"Godfather?" Tracker was surprised, but also impressed.

"Yeah! My mom is good friends with Princess Twilight, so when I was born they had TD and Twilight become my godparents."

"Wow. That's pretty neat!"

Just then, Pinkie called out to Tracker from a distance away. Tracker gave Screwball a sheepish smile.

"Well, I guess I should head on back to her," he said.

"Yeah, it's best not to keep her waiting," Screwball agreed. "By the way, my name's Screwball, but my friends just call me Screwy."

"Screwball?" Tracker looked at her to see if she was serious; she was. He didn't tease her about it though, for he had been unfortunate enough to have once had a friend with a weird name.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Screwball," he said politely, "They call me Tracker."

"Tracker...that's a nice name. Well, goodbye!" Screwball then smirked and added in a whisper, "Catch you later, vampire boy."

Tracker was stunned by her words, but before he could ask more, Screwball disappeared with a giggle in an explosion of confetti. This only awed the colt some more.

"She knew...and that power..." Tracker's voice trailed off as he followed Pinkie Pie through Ponyville again. Pinkie looked at him and gave a knowing smile, for she could sense what he was feeling.

Being a Changeling had it's benefits.

* * *

The Diamond Dogs watched the town from a perch within the Everfree forest, and using a telescope to spy on the ponies as they searched for their target. The largest of them was peering through the glass.

"What do you see?" the others asked him. The dog gave a growl and kept peering through the glass. He then noticed the familiar appearance of the colt they were pursuing next to a pink pony who was showing him around.

"I see him! He's here!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Then let's get him!" the others shouted.

"No," the dog said, "It's too risky to do this alone. There are too many ponies there that would spot us. We'll need the entire gang to stand a chance. Let's go tell the boss."

The three of them snickered and started off back to wherever they came from. Unknown to them however, a large beast had listened in on their conversation; one whom the ponies would normally fear. The Timberwolf gave a small whine in his throat, then started off towards Ponyville, hoping to find the one whom he knew would be able to understand him and try to help.

The son of TD and Twilight Sparkle, Zachary.

* * *

"How was your day?" TD asked the vampire when he returned to the Castle later in the afternoon.

"It was nice," Tracker replied, "There's a lot of cool places here and I absolutely enjoyed that spa place! But uh...there was a filly who claimed that you were her godfather. She was really weird- in a good way!"

TD chuckled. "You mean Screwball? She's the daughter of Discord and Fluttershy, both of whom are good friends of Twilight. Screwball's a fun filly to be around. No matter how old she gets, she always seems to possess some kind of child-like demeanor that you can't help but find admiring."

"You got that right," Tracker agreed. His eyes shot up to TD and he said, "I know I've only just met her today, but I think I already have a crush on her."

TD made a mock gasp of surprise.

"O.M. Goodness!" he said in his best impression of a teenage girl, "You are totally falling for her!"

"Cut it out!" Tracker snapped back, but his eyes were still smiling.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," TD said kindly, "Personally, I approve of it. Mostly because I've seen plenty of strange relationships before."

Tracker looked to TD with confusion, but decided not to ask about it. In the short time that he knew TD, Tracker did know for sure that the guy had a lot of experience with some weird stuff. Not to mention, he was a being of Chaos. For him, this stuff could almost be called normal. Tracker looked to TD and gave him a smile.

"I'm thankful for your hospitality and all, sir," he said with a smile, "but I should probably be leaving soon."

"Why not stay here in Ponyville?" TD suggested, "There's plenty of friends to make and I feel that you'd hurt everyone's feelings without at least saying goodbye. Which reminds me, do you even have a home?"

"Well...no," Tracker answered truthfully, "I was still quite young when I turned and my parents died long ago. I've been on the move for as long as I can remember, because I don't want to be a danger to other ponies."

"Danger?" TD asked. He gave him a look. "Have you attacked any innocents?"

"No..."

"And have ever posed a threat to anyone, big or small?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Have you ever killed someone outside of self-defense?"

"No."

"Are you good at keeping your hunger in check?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't see the problem," TD finished with a smile. "You're okay in my book, and you're welcome to stay."

Tracker started to protest further, but stopped himself and shrugged. He then looked to TD and gave him a smile.

"Thanks again, TD," the colt said, "I won't make you regret this! I promise!"

TD laughed. "Go have fun while the day lasts, you little tyke!"

Tracker rushed out of the house and TD chuckled again. He started to walk into a room with a window he had installed, when he suddenly heard a whimpering noise outside. TD looked out the window and almost jumped when he saw the face of the Timberwolf that stood there.

"Plank? What are you doing here?" TD asked. Unlike his son, TD couldn't communicate with the beast in the same manner as Zach had done...at least not willingly. Plank motioned for something, which TD thankfully understood. Causing a quill and some paper to appear, TD handed them to the Timberwolf, who skillfully wrote something down on the parchment. He then handed it back to TD, who took a look at what was written:

 ** _Trouble brewing. Get Zach to explain rest!_**

TD nodded and snapped his fingers. A cloud of feathers appeared and TD's son stood in the room, a bit confused at first. But when he saw the Timberwolf in the window giving him a concerned look, he understood that something was wrong.

"Plank? What's wrong?" he asked.

Zach listened as Plank relayed the message to him telepathically: _"There's some Diamond Dogs searching for somepony here in town. I think they plan to attack!"_

Zach was shocked, but managed to quickly relay the message to TD.

"I'll bet they're coming for Tracker," TD muttered, "This is getting old."

"I'll warn the others then," Zach suggested.

"No. Not now," TD said, "Let Tracker have his fun while he still can. It may be the last chance he gets in a while."

Zach nodded and disappeared again, taking Plank with him. TD sat down and groaned.

"Why do these things happen to me?"

* * *

"Are you certain?" the draconic creature demanded.

"It was him boss!" the Diamond Dog said excitedly, "He's staying in Ponyville with the Princess of Friendship!"

"Good," the reptilian creature replied, "Gather our troops. We'll take him by force if need be. But make sure he's brought to me ALIVE. If I'm going to savor my revenge, I want it to be fresh."

The dogs nodded and rushed through the tunnels blowing a trumpet as the monster growled.

"You took a life from me," he growled, "So you'll pay with your own..."

* * *

"Chuck! Chuck Murphy Pie, where are you?!" TD shouted up at the Changeling hive outside of Ponyville.

"A little to the left.. No no... your left!" Chuck ordered two Changelings who were in the process of erecting a banner. His disguise wasn't up, which made him actually look the part of a Changeling king. "What is it?" He asked TD, turning around to face him.

"Two things," TD said, "First, Ponyville may be expecting hostile company and we could use the strength of your hive...or what strength it can provide. I'll talk to you about the second part after you get that situated. Or at least say the word. You are the King of the hive, after all."

"The banner can wait. What do you mean hostile company?" The Changeling king asked, tugging the bow tie he wore around his neck nervously.

"How about some Diamond Dogs with armor and weapons that are trying to take out the newcomer in town? Pinkie may have told you? The colt I saved in the middle of the night?"

"Diamond Dogs? Why didn't you say so?" He asked. "You there!"

He pointed to one Changeling.

"My name is Anthropod, sir," the Changeling said.

"Right right. Rally a squadron, we've got some dogs to take to the pound." Chuck grinned.

TD chuckled as he watched the Changeling gather the Changeling warriors of the hive together in short time. There was only about fifty Changelings, but the increased numbers compared to last time he'd seen them was evidence of a thriving hive. Unfortunately, General Hornet wasn't among them.

"The general is unwell, sir," a Changeling private reported.

"Possibly due to his age," TD replied, "He is around the ripe old age for a Changeling drone."

"Make sure Hornet is being taken care of," Chuck instructed as he attached a spear mount to his back, a weapon one of his Changeling engineers came up with.

TD smiled. "Never thought I'd live to see you armed for war. But then again, Changeling kings are known to be rather efficient in combat, regardless of their origins. Anyways, the other part is more...private. Do you have a place we could talk, or should I bring the Cone of Silence?"

"Pal, I'm the king. I've got all kinds of places most folks would be executed just for entering. Come with me. Will this be quick?" Chuck asked, fastening his golden helmet lined with red gems.

"I hope so," TD replied, "Otherwise I'll be wasting our time."

TD followed Chuck through the Changeling hive. He had never seen the interior before now, and what he saw was actually a nice spectacle.

"Like it? Pinkie made sure to have them brighten the place up rather than the gunmetal gray most Changeling hives are," Chuck said. He then used his insect like horn to create a hole in the wall, revealing a secret door.

"Consider this to be my Truman Lounge. Come on in," He said, donning a silk robe and pulling a cigar out of a drawer.

TD obliged, switching into his Changeling form as he did. It almost would've seemed like a member from another hive had arrived if it wasn't for TD's choice of color for his form, which no Changeling hive used.

"Don't take this the wrong way," TD stated, "but before you the only time I have been this deep inside a Changeling hive was that time when Chrysalis used that transformation spell from the scroll she stole to turn you guys into mindless cattle. Still not sure what her plan was there."

"You should be happy you're here on different circumstances then." Chuck said puffing the cigar and placing a record on an old style record player. "So, what is it you want to talk about?"

TD caused a chair to appear and sat down before turning to Chuck.

"Well, Twi and I have been thinking about something. Tracker has no refuge, nowhere to call home, always on the move. We don't want him to live like that and he doesn't either from what I have heard. So, we're thinking on having a new addition to our family, if you catch my meaning."

"Well congratulations. Why did you feel the need to tell me in private?" Chuck asked, humming along to the jazz music from the record.

TD sighed. "Chuck, he carries a secret that only my family, Screwball, and your wife know about so far. Tracker...is a vampire."

"So just don't let him near wooden stakes and my garlic bread." Chuck said. "I don't understand why his species is an issue here."

"I thought the same thing, even though he drinks blood unlike the vampire ponies you'd normally find. He can eat apples like a vampire bat and he even learned a trick I taught him. Remember that one human vampire girl who was here that time when I brought several universes together?"

"What about her?" Chuck asked.

"She can eat the color red instead of blood," TD explained, "I taught Tracker how to do that; he caught on very quickly. But my main concern is not his diet. He is the reason why those Diamond Dogs are coming for him."

"And why would they have anything against him?" He asked, putting the cigar out.

"Even Tracker doesn't know that answer," TD replied with a sigh, "But it serves as a reminder of a painful fact that's brewing over me."

TD's form changed into his pony form and he stared at Chuck. His glowing draconic eyes may have been intimidating to most, but Chuck was one of the few who could see the true expressions shown in such eyes. And right now, they looked sad, almost guilty.

"Chuck, every time I do something nice for someone like Tracker, I end up putting others at risk. Heck, my very presence in this world puts all of you in danger. It's not that I don't want to help... it's that I don't want those whom I care about get hurt because of me."

TD hung his head a little in sadness when he finished.

"Nobody's perfect," Chuck said. "You can't dwell on that stuff. You can feel remorse for any accidental wrong doings, but don't let it discourage you." He said sympathetically. "So... what do you want?" He asked.

"I have wanted many things, most of which never came to be," TD said softly, "but if I could have one wish come true, it'd be this: I want my family to be safe, regardless of origin, world, or species."

"That I can't provide and it isn't what I meant." The Changeling king said. "What I mean is next Summer, my son will be graduating school. He's shown an interest in what used to be my line of work. I intend on giving him my tavern as a graduation present, I also intend carrying out my will early so I can focus more on my new duties as a king and not be living two lives. So, what do you want from me? Anything really."

"Oh. In that regard, I'm not sure. No offense Chuck, but you don't have much that I'd want or need. Most of the time when ponies ask me things like this I decline or ignore their offer. The reason is because I technically have everything they offer me and I feel that they'll need it more than I will."

"Well, suit yourself." He sighed. "Alright, chatter time is over, time to take some dogs out to the pasture."

TD chuckled. "I like you as a king."

TD's horn glowed and with a flash they were outside the hive. And not a moment too soon, for a Changeling captain approached them immediately and said to Chuck, "Sire! Our scouts report a large army of dogs inbound to the town!"

"Have Squadron A flank left, B flank right, and I need flyers pronto!" Chuck barked at the Changeling. "The rest of you are with me." He sneered his eyes. "For the colony!" He yelled.

TD gave an amused smile and jumped impossibly high into the air, higher than the equine creatures flying in the air currently. He looked at the army and chuckled.

"Oh this ought to be good."

When he hit the ground, Twilight, Zach, Tracker, Diana, and Pinkie Pie were rushing up to join the group. Pinkie wasn't in disguise, and her expression was one intimidating enough to give Chrysalis a run for her money. Plank was also there, staying close to Diana in a protective manner.

"Where are our children?" Chuck asked Pinkie as she stood by his side.

"I left them with Cheese, they'll be fine," She replied.

"I would have rather have had them on the front lines than there, but you're probably right." He muttered. "You ready?"

"Ready or not, here they come," TD muttered. Diana trembled a bit with fear, causing Plank to give her a gentle look. She hugged the Timberwolf tightly and Plank let out a growl directed at the approaching enemy. Zach looked calm at the moment, though it was clear that he was ready to act at a moment's notice. Tracker looked guilty.

"I'm sorry I brought this upon you, everypony," he said.

"Don't be," Twilight replied reassuringly, "We wouldn't let them harm you anyways."

Chuck growled as he glared out at the approaching horde.

"CHARGE!" He yelled out running forward.

The Changelings surged towards the dogs, but stopped when a loud roar was heard. The dogs laughed as the ground exploded in front of them and a large dragon appeared. It was extremely large and rock-like, almost like some kind of giant reptilian rhino. It looked at them and roared again.

"Who's in charge here?" the dragon bellowed.

TD sighed and got an annoyed look.

"Of course it'd be an Earth Dragon."

"Um... Um... Well, I'm the king of this hive," Chuck stammered.

The dragon gave him a look, then said in a sinister tone, "You have somepony in this town that does not belong. He is mine to claim! I order you to hand him over!"

Plank growled fiercely when he heard that and Diana hid behind one of his large paws. Tracker backed a few steps away, but Twilight pulled one of her wings in front of him.

"He's not going anywhere until you explain yourself," she said sternly to the dragon.

"Wanna bet?" the dragon smirked, "I could always kill off the stragglers in the streets."

Suddenly, a cry came from the town and several Diamond Dogs came over dragging some ponies. One of them so happened to be a filly all too familiar to the group.

"Sugar Plum!" Zach called his eyes turning to a worried expression.

"You son of a..." Chuck growled. "I DEMAND you release her now!"

"Then you know my price!" the dragon snarled.

"Don't listen to him!" one of the captive ponies shouted.

"Our lives aren't worth it! He'll just backstab you!" another shouted.

"Don't worry about us," a third said, but he looked directly at Chuck. As he did, his eyes lost their pupils for a second before returning to normal. If TD and the others noticed this, he didn't say anything.

 _"Chuck,"_ Zach's voice came to the Changeling king's mind via telepathy, _"Did you...?"_

"Did I what?" He replied.

"Eh?" the dragon said, "What are you saying?"

Suddenly, one of the captive ponies erupted into a burst of flames and revealed himself as a Changeling form Chuck's hive, much to the surprise of the dogs around them. He bit his fangs into the arm of the dog holding him and he let out a howl as he released him. Seeing an opportunity, Zach sprang into action. His wings glowed and a magic beam fired from both of them and struck the dogs holding Sugar Plum, who scampered over to him. The other dogs released their captives out of surprise and they scampered to safety.

"Sugar Plum!" Zach called, giving the filly a hug, "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," She nodded. Pinkie Pie and Chuck quickly pulled her beside them, asking if she was alright.

The dragon, clearly not anticipating any of this, snarled.

"Fine! Then I'll destroy this town!," he shouted.

The dragon raised his head, but then TD rushed forward and used an attack he learned from a fight with someone from his Arena Rumble:

"Vow of Silence!"

A beam of magic struck the dragon and he gave a look of surprise.

"What!? What have you done to me?"

"I have taken away your Shout," TD said simply, "You will never use it to harm anyone ever again!"

"Take that tall dark and ugly!" Chuck snickered and crossed his hooves.

The dragon snarled and swiped at TD, but the chaotic entity blocked it with one hand, then punched the dragon's snout and sent him flying. The dragon stood from his fall and snarled.

"Why protect the boy?" he asked, "He's a creature of darkness, a monster."

"The only monster I see here is you," TD retaliated.

"Well, what if I told you that your little vampire friend has killed someone in cold blood?"

TD faltered a bit when he heard this and everyone turned to Tracker, who was looking scared now.

"So?" The Changeling king stepped forward, "Everybody has done bad things in their life. Who cares?"

"He killed my daughter!" the dragon roared, "Now, I shall kill him too!"

The dragon charged at Tracker with insane speeds, but then suddenly, a large lighting bolt struck him and he fell to the ground.

"No, you won't," TD said with a fierce glint in his eyes, "You will never harm any of my family while I am around! In fact, I'm locking you away in a place where can never harm anyone ever again!"

TD placed a hand on the dragon and it glowed with power. The dragon started glowing too and he roared in dismay. Suddenly, his entire body disappeared and TD let out a tired sigh.

"Banishment to Limbo is hard without the proper tools," he said sheepishly.

"Speaking of tools, any chance he'll ever be back?" Chuck asked TD.

"Not unless someone specifically casts a powerful spell to save him from his banishment. Even then, the banishing spell is usually as powerful as the one who cast the spell. I think it's safe to assume that we won't be seeing him again," TD explained. He pulled out a lollipop and started licking it.

"So, Tracker. Bit of a dragon slayer are you?" Sugar Plum asked him.

"That's the problem," Tracker said, "I never intended to kill her. I- I found her wounded in the wilderness and I thought...if I turned her, I could technically save her life." Tracker started tearing up, "But it was too late by the time I bit her. Her father... he thought I had killed her intentionally and, Well...you know the rest."

"And the rest is now history." Chuck kicked the dust where the dragon once stood.

"You did nothing wrong," Twilight said to him reassuringly, "You did what you could to help her. No pony is blaming you."

Plank walked over to Tracker and gave him a friendly bark, earning a pat from the vampire. He then looked off into the distance and sighed.

"Well, as fun as it was meeting you guys, I think I must be going," Tracker said with a down-hearted look.

"Now you're sure you want to do that? You're quite welcome to stay." Chuck said.

"Yeah! Stay!" Pinkie nodded.

"Wait, you...want me to stay?" Tracker seemed dumbfounded.

"Of course," Zach said, "You're a good kid. Or vampire- actually, how old are you?"

"Hundred plus," Tracker said with a shrug, "But where would I stay?"

Twilight smiled and trotted forward.

"William and I talked it over, and we're willing to allow for one more addition to our family, if you'll take it."

Tracker was silent and turned to Chuck as if to ask for confirmation of what he had heard.

"No skin off my back kid." He chuckled. "Stop by the hive whenever you want."

"I- I'm flattered, but are you sure?" Tracker asked, "I mean, vampires are supposed to be evil."

TD laughed. "So am I, and the Changelings, Timberwolves, and even Discord. Yet look what happened instead. You can't choose your heritage, but you can decide which path you take. And I'm willing to have you stay with us if you wish, son."

Tracker teared up again, but instead of tears drops of blood ran down his cheeks. Nobody freaked however, for they had been told once by TD that vampires were incapable of crying anything but blood.

"Thank you," the vampire said softly, then suddenly gave TD a crushing hug. "Thank you so much!"

TD smiled and returned the embrace as the rest of his family joined in for a group hug, including Plank and Diana. TD looked up at Chuck and said, "Well? Come on, you're family too."

Before Chuck could say anything his wife grabbed him and they joined in the hug.

"Get used to these," Chuck said flatly to Tracker. "These happen a lot."

"I don't care," Tracker said, "I like them."

"And you can't deny liking them too, Chuck," TD chuckled.

Suddenly, a Changeling drone came over to them in a saddened state.

"My queen!" he said to Pinkie, "It's General Hornet! I- I think he's breathing his last! He requests your presence immediately. You may bring your friends."

"Come on!" She grabbed Chuck and the others followed, quickly making their way to the hive.

* * *

Hornet was not in a good condition when they found him. He was lying on a bed made of some kind of hardened goo with a blanket over him. A few Changelings were monitoring him the best they could, but there wasn't much they could do. He gasped occasionally as if it was hard to breathe and they could hear him muttering Pinkie's Changeling name.

"...Pill Bug...Pill Bug..."

"General," one of them said softly upon noticing the group, "She's here."

Hornet turned and seemed to improve slightly upon seeing Pinkie. He smiled weakly at her with a caring expression.

"I'm here sir," Pinkie said, taking his hoof.

"Pill Bug," he said weakly, "I... am proud... of who you've become. You've become... a greater Changeling than... your mother and I... could ever dream of..."

He suddenly had a nasty coughing fit and one of the nearby Changelings laid a mismatched hoof on his shoulder.

Chuck and Pinkie exchanged looks, understanding what exactly he had meant by that.

"... Dad?" Pinkie asked slowly. Hornet gave a small nod.

"I'm no monarch... Never was. But I have... always been proud... to be your father... I only regret... not searching for you... as much as I should have... Even when the others... thought you were dead... I always knew... you were still out there..." He managed a chuckle. "Ironic that... my failure to find you... made you into... who you are today... I couldn't ask for a better daughter... Or a more fitting queen..."

Hornet coughed again as the others watched. Plank made a whimper and came beside the bed. Hornet managed to pat the Timberwolf's head as he did. TD was already tearing up, but he didn't cry aloud just yet. He obviously knew exactly what one felt in such a situation.

"Sir... don't you go on us. We'll find a way to stop it... I know we can." Chuck stammered holding his hoof.

Hornet shook his head. "It's too late... for me, Chuck... I have exceeded my lifespan... and now... my time is running out..." He looked to Pinkie Pie again. "I like... your pony name... Pinkie Pie... It suits you well..." He then turned to the Changelings in the room. The number of them had increased during their conversation as the hive came to see their beloved general one last time.

"I'm... sorry I couldn't be... a better leader... in our monarch's absence..." He told them, "Or the king... you deserved..."

"Don't say that sir," one Changeling said. It was Anthropod. "No matter your rank, you were always a king in our eyes. And a father."

Hornet smiled, an expression of love in his eyes with a few happy tears as well.

"I know I haven't known you for very long, but... but if I can be half the leader you proved to be, I'll be proud." Chuck smiled at him.

Hornet chuckled, then coughed again for a moment.

"My time is short..." he replied weakly. He lifted a hoof up to Pinkie's face and pulled her into a small embrace.

"Goodbye, my dear Pinkie Pie," he said, laying a kiss on her cheek, "I shall miss you most of all..."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked into his eyes. "Goodbye... Dad..." She sniffed.

Hornet laid his head back down on the bed and breathed his last, a peaceful smile on his face. Plank whimpered again and let out a low howl of grief. Twilight and Zach both closed their eyes as tears rolled down their cheeks. Tracker didn't make a sound nor did he shed a tear, but he clearly was just as bad as the rest. TD walked over to the lifeless general and closed his eyes with his hand. He then placed his hand on his head and it glowed for a moment.

"Farewell, General Hornet," TD said softly, his voice cracking slightly with emotion, "Find peace in death."

The rest of the Changelings were mostly silent, but a few were more vocal in their grief.

"Come here," Chuck said supportingly to his wife, trying to keep strong for the sake of supporting her. He held her as she trembled with tears. Though she had known he was her father for no more than mere minutes, the pain was as if she had known him forever.

"Did he have any particular wishes for his passing?" Twilight asked Anthropod. The Changeling looked up from his grief.

"Hornet tended to be a follower of many of our Changeling traditions, but he tended to make an exception for times like this. He once told me that... his final wish was to be buried alongside his beloved queen, Cocoon. And not in traditional Changeling fashion. I- I guess he wanted it to be a symbol of our friendship with the ponies. As Cocoon was once a pony herself..."

"Where does Cocoon lie?" Chuck asked.

"Right this way, my king," Anthropod said. He started to lead the way out of the room, but before he left he turned to the other Changelings.

"Prepare the General for his final parting from this world," he said, then led the others down a dark hallway to a door sealed off by goo. He turned to Chuck.

"Behind this door are the burial chambers of the monarchs. We took great measures to preserve them well. Some with the intention of staying there, others for times like this. However, I am not permitted to open it. Only another monarch or one whom the monarch places absolute trust in can open it."

"Want to do the honors?" Chuck turned to Pinkie, who shook her head. "Okay. Guess I'm opening it," He said to himself.

"This will require the magic from your horn," Anthropod explained. "Approach the door with your horn glowing, and the rest will be taken care of."

Chuck gulped, unsure of himself. He closed his eyes and concentrated, causing his horn to glow, he stepped towards the door.

The wall of goo suddenly spilt down the middle and parted like a door opening up to permit entrance. A strong smell exited the room as soon as he did, but it was a rather sweet smell thankfully. TD still had some complaint about it.

"A little heavy on the perfumes, maybe?" he muttered. Tracker seemed more interested in the room.

"I feel many souls in there," he said, "All of them at peace. It actually feels...welcoming."

"If you'd said that forty years ago, I would've found that rather creepy," Twilight said aloud. Tracker led the group inside and they couldn't help but feel a bit in awe at what they saw.

Many different sealed-off shelves could be seen along a large wall inside the room, each seal on the shelves decorated beautifully with flowers, crystals, gems, and even jewelry. Each one also had a name written on it both in the pony language and another one that was unfamiliar to the group. Yet somehow, Chuck and Pinkie could translate the second written language as if they had known it all their lives.

"This one says: "if you can read this, you're too close." Chuck pretended to read, earning a stern look from Pinkie.

"Really?" She said flatly.

"As much as I appreciate trying to lighten the mood Chuck, now's not the time," TD stated. He looked at the rows, then came across one that had a crown placed over it, and written on it was...

"'Queen Cocoon,'" TD read, "'A brave queen and a loving mother.' Found her."

Anthropod came over, and with a sigh he smashed his hoof into the hardened goo. It shattered like glass and revealed a motionless figure inside. It was the same Changeling from Pinkie's dream many months before, the one whom TD's magic had shown fighting to protect baby Pinkie Pie. Her purple mane and wings were visible from where they stood, and her face held a peaceful look to it. She almost looked like a Changeling version of Celestia.

"Preserved indeed..." Chuck was almost frightened by the sight.

"Be thankful that you get the nicer view of her," TD said. He then lifted the monarch in his arms as gently as if she was a sleeping child. He then turned back to the door.

"Lead the way," he said.

Anthropod lead the group through the caverns of the hive. A group of Changelings were already ready with the body of Hornet.

"Everything is ready," one of the Changelings said, "We have the graves prepared outside."

Anthropod nodded and TD gave a sigh.

"Well," he said, "then I guess...let's go."

They all walked slowly out of the hive and over to a tree not too far away. It allowed for a nice view of Ponyville. Two graves had already been dug for the departed. The bodies were lowered gently as traditional Changeling music was played. Sugar Plum, Sterling, and Sweet Tooth stood beside their parents. Twilight, TD, and the others stood beside them as the entire hive of Changelings stood in a crowd. A Changeling minister stood over the graves and began to speak.

"Today, we lay to rest the bodies of our beloved Queen Cocoon and her second Changeling mate, our own General Hornet. These two were marvelous leaders of this hive, living proof of peace between the ponies and the Changelings before such a thing was deemed possible. They sacrificed much of their own personal lives to give us what we have today. Their memories will never be forgotten. Would the family and friends of the departed like to say any final words?"

Pinkie nodded and stepped up.

"I had always known my family was a mystery..." she said, "I had never known just how important my mother and father were. I'm happy that I got to know one of them before I had to say goodbye..."

Diana started sobbing a bit and Plank pulled her into a comforting embrace. Zach flew over to Pinkie's side and placed a hoof on her shoulder. TD stood up and walked over to the bodies of the two Changelings.

"I never knew Queen Cocoon," he said, "for she passed on long before my dealings in this world. Hornet I knew only on a small level of mutual friendship, but what little I did know told me this much. Hornet was a good Changeling, a charismatic leader, and a beloved father to an entire hive who looked up to him. I have personally experienced the pain that we all feel here today once before, so I feel that I can properly say that his passing has an impact on myself as well. May he find great happiness in death as he once did in life."

Chuck stood and walked over to say a few words.

"When I first met Hornet, I had no idea that I should be impressing him. So, what did I do? I did what I always do; made jokes, said stupid things. Thankfully for whatever reason, he saw past that enough to approve of the fact I'd be ruling the hive with his daughter." He sighed. "I just wish I knew. I wish I knew that he deserved more respect than could possibly be expended. I will continue to honor your name sir," He promised.

No one seemed to have anything to say, so a few Changelings came forward and lowered the departed in their graves, side by side. The hole was covered and a silence seemed to settle on all. After a moment, a sad song was heard playing from nowhere, to which TD just shrugged.

"Magic reaction," he said, "Nothing I can do about it."

The song was recognized by Chuck however; it was known as "The Drinking Song" by Moxy Fruvous. This didn't really help too much, but it did seem fitting for the time being. Everyone listened until the end of the song, then they solemnly started walking away back to their jobs or whatnot.

"Another friend come and gone," TD said to no one in particular, before turning to Chuck and Pinkie. "What I said before about Hornet, I meant every word. You have my deepest sympathies."

"Of course," Chuck nodded, "Life is full of partings just as much as it is greetings. I don't believe Hornet will ever be completely gone."

"I agree," Twilight said, "With that much adoration from his kind as well as others, it'll be hard to forget him."

TD sighed and looked around at the others around the place. Zach was sitting near Sugar Plum and seemed to be in a kind of conversation with her, trying to comfort her; Plank was hugging Sterling and Sweet Tooth as they also let out their grief; and Diana was hugging Tracker tightly as well. The sun had started to set and enveloped their area in a small patch of shadow, so what they saw was that Tracker had taken on a new look. He had grown a pair of bat-like wings, his fur was more pale, and a pair of fangs were seen in his mouth. One of his wings was wrapped around Diana as he did his best to comfort her. It actually looked more warming than scary. Zach's eyes had also started to glow in the shadows, making his expression look more caring than before.

"It's getting late..." Chuck sighed. "It's been a long and hard day for us all. Perhaps we could do something to lift our spirits? No one likes going to bed sad after all."

"Agreed," TD said, "So, what do you want to do?"

"At this point, I'd take just about anything," Twilight replied. Tracker apparently heard them, because his ears twitched a bit in their direction and his head turned slightly. Zach and Sugar Plum were walking back over to their respective parents and Plank had managed to get the younger Pies to calm down enough. The Changelings were apparently trying to figure out something to do as well.

"I've got an idea," Chuck said. "It always helped me when I was down back where I came from."

He led them to a beach off of Ponyville and he began piling drift wood for a fire.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, I present, a beach fire: the welcoming atmosphere of friends and family as per a campfire, but set to the calming waves of the ocean," He said, lighting the fire using magic.

"Ahh! I'm liking this already," TD stated.

"I agree," Twilight replied, nuzzling up to her husband. Tracker sat some ways away with Diana snuggled up against him as well. She obviously didn't care about his vampire appearance and was already seeing him like another big brother. Zach was flying a foot or so off the ground chatting to Sugar Plum and another Changeling who seemed to be around the same age.

"If Gonzo's family comes down from the sky, I'm gonna laugh before I lose myself in the party that follows," TD said.

"I know you will," Twilight answered. She then gave him a smile and said, "But you'd have to give me a dance."

"That'd be more than fair, my little North Star," TD replied playfully, booping her nose. She giggled a bit when he did that.

Pinkie leaned up against Chuck as they watched their children play.

"See? I can have a good idea now and then." Chuck said with a little grin.

TD then started to jitter a bit.

"Uh oh," he said, but his expression said that he thought that whatever was coming was and had been planning this. Twilight giggled and shook her head in amusement.

"Chuck," she said, "You are aware of _Muppet's Treasure Island_ , right?"

"Of course I am." He nodded.

"Then you may be familiar with this," she said as she stood up to join her husband. TD called to Zach.

"Hey Zach!"

"Yeah?" Zach answered. Then TD said the line that was the trigger word.

"I've got Cabin Fever!"

Suddenly music started playing and Zach laughed as he realized what was coming. Diana, who was watching her father, got an excited look and looked to Tracker.

"Come on! Dance with me," she said to Tracker in a cute manner. Tracker smiled.

"Okay, Diana," he chuckled, leading her out to join the others.

Chuck rolled his eyes with a grin and a slight chuckle. "Why didn't I see that coming?"

Suddenly, an explosion of confetti appeared nearby and Screwball was standing before them.

"Oh, hey Uncle Chuck!" she said happily, "What's going on?"

"Just in the middle of lifting some spirits, it's been a tough day for the lot of us." He explained. "Yourself?"

"Daddy and I were messing around with a couple nasty Diamond Dogs. They tried to take Mom's necklace and got more than what they bargained for." Her spiral eyes looked at Chuck's with a cheerful expression. "Mind if I join? I like this song."

"Go right ahead." He nodded.

"Yay!" Screwball shouted joyously. A pair of maracas appeared in her hooves and she bounced towards the party.

"Come on, everyone!" TD called! "Let's do this!"

Everyone suddenly found themselves onboard a ship as the music played. And so began the song.

[Note ahead of time: Apparently, Plank CAN talk, but only during a musical number. XD]

 **TD:** _I got cabin fever it's burning in my brain_

 **Zach:** _I've got cabin fever it's driving me insane_

 **Pie Children:** _We got cabin fever, we're flipping our bandanas_  
 _Been stuck at sea so long we have simply gone bananas_

 **Screwball:** _Ariba!_

 **?:** _Chica chica boom_  
 _A chica chica boom boom chic_  
 _Chica chica boom_  
 _A chica chica boom boom chic_

 **Pinkie Pie:** _We got cabin fever we've lost what sense we had_  
 _We got cabin fever, we're all going mad!_

 **Changeling group:** _My sanity is hanging by a thread_  
 _Since we're going nowhere I've gone out of my head_  
 _We were sailing sailing over the bounding main_  
 _And now we're not! Ha ha heh!_

 **Twilight:** _Grab your partner by the ears_  
 _Lash him to the wheel_  
 _Do-si-do step on his toe_  
 _Listen to him squeal_  
 _Allemande left, allemande right_  
 _It's time to sail or sink_  
 _Swing your partner over the side_  
 _Drop him in the drink_

 **Diana:** _We got cabin fever_  
 **Plank:** No _if's, and's, or_ but's  
 **D:** _We're_ disoriented  
 **P:** _And demented_  
 **Both:** _And a little nuts_

 **Screwball and Zach:** Ach _du lieber Volswagen car_

 **TD:** _(Yodel-lay-ee-hoo)_

 **S and Z:** _Saur braten viener schnitzel_  
 _Und a vunder bar_

 **TD:** _(Yodel-lay-ee-hoo)_

 _We were sailing, sailing the wind was on our_ side

 **Tracker:** _And then it died_

 **Anthropod:** _I've got cabin fever_  
 _I think I've lost my grip_

 **Sugar** **Plum:** _I'd like to get my hands on_  
 _Whoever wrote this script_

 _(Si!)_

 **Chuck:** _I was floating 'neath a tropic moon_  
 _And dreaming of a blue lagoon_  
 _Now I'm crazy as a loon!_

 **All:** _Cabin fever has ravaged all aboard_  
 _This once proud vessel has become a floating psycho ward_  
 _We were sailing, sailing headed who knows where_  
 _And now though we're all here_  
 _We're not all there!_

 _*short music break and a few scattered "Ariba's"*_

 _Cabin fever! Ah!_

The ship suddenly disappeared and they were all back on the beach. The majority of them, especially Screwball and Pinkie Pie, were laughing joyously at the spectacle they had created.

"Well, I suppose that's one way to lift spirits." Chuck remarked with a slight chuckle.

"And that's exactly why I like having these powers!" TD stated, laughing himself.

Suddenly, there were two cries of alarm from among the children. Turning in the direction indicated, they saw Screwball and Tracker rubbing their hooves as if they had just injured them.

"Is everything okay?" Pinkie asked, her maternal instincts kicking in, in spite of the fact that they weren't her children.

"Yeah," Tracker said, "We just got shocked somehow when we high hoofed each other. What was that?"

Screwball gave a confused smile. "Normally I'd say that was my joy buzzer, but I don't have it on me right now. So, I'm stumped."

TD looked between the two of them, then suddenly chuckled as he covered his face with his hands.

"If this is what I think it is," he said aloud to nobody in particular, "I'm gonna ask DisneyFanatic why her own stories have a lasting impact on mine."

"William, what are you saying?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, what?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, it might get awkward for the two of them, but don't say I didn't try to warn you," TD stated. He then took a breath and started. "You see, vampires usually abide by a rule concerning marriage in this sense: when they find their destined soul-mate, they experience a shock when they make contact with that person... or pony in this case. Afterwards, they cannot do so much as touch their soul-mate without their express permission. Sometimes they can't even enter a household without being invited in first. Normally, only the vampire feels the shock, but my guess is that because Screwy is a being of Chaos... must I go on?"

TD sat in silence as he let it sink in for them all. Screwball and Tracker looked to each other for a moment, then blushed and looked away. It was most definitely an awkward situation for them both.

"I've heard of arranged marriages but that's nuts," Chuck remarked, "Congratulations."

"Well, it's mostly a hunch," TD said, "The only way we can know for sure is if Tracker has a dream when he falls asleep. Normally, vampires don't have dreams, but the one exception is after finding a soulmate. So-"

"William, I think they get it," Twilight interrupted with a smile.

"Hey, I tried to warn you guys," he defended.

"Uh..." Tracker looked up at Screwball, who was still blushing, but a smile was on her face.

"Well, it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's happened in my life," she said positively. "So... I guess let's take it slow for now?"

"Sure," Tracker stated, "Although it may take me awhile to get used to this."

TD laughed. "Doesn't it always?"

"Sometimes all it takes is a little friction between lovers," Sterling remarked.

"Sterling, don't say that," Chuck said sternly.

Sadly, this only made TD laugh some more.

"Chuck, what exactly are you teaching your children?" he asked, "Because at this rate, I'd almost think that you let Discord teach them!" He then looked to Screwball. "No offense."

"None taken," she replied, "Daddy's not the best teacher, but hey! He's a dad. He can't be perfect at everything."

"What makes you think they learned that from me?" Chuck asked, before looking to his wife, who would NEVER say something like that. "Never mind."

TD laughed yet again.

"Then where'd he learn that? From me? Thanks to my author, I don't believe I've had much interaction with your children."

Twilight rolled her eyes when she heard this. Screwball and Tracker simply chuckled a bit. Zach either had decided to find something else to do or had not heard the conversation at all, because he and Sugar Plum both were in the middle of a game of tag with some other Changeling children.

Chuck smiled a little, watching the children play. "It's little things like that which pick me up. That and it reminds me not to ruin the world too much. After all, they will be the ones inheriting it."

"Amen to that, Chuck," TD said, pulling out his bubble pipe and blowing a few bubbles out of it. He then seemed to get an idea from it and made it disappear.

"I know it's probably not the best idea, but who's up for fireworks?" TD asked. He almost regretted saying that, as a chorus of young voices immediately shouted, "Yay! Fireworks!" and started crowding him. In fact, TD was almost knocked down by the wave of Changeling children alone.

"Remember when this was a quiet event?" Chuck turned to someone who wasn't there, his wife now among the crowd eager to see fireworks.

"I think we threw that out the window when we got Cabin Fever," TD chuckled. He then snapped his fingers and several fireworks appeared, along with a snake made of fire that kept anyone from getting too close. Anytime someone approached, he would snap at them, then say with a friendly German accent, "Please keep your distance from ze fireworks for your safety!" After a moment, the fireworks all fired off at different times, lighting up the skies with a spectacular display. TD had all kinds of fireworks, some of which were featured in Lord of the Rings, others which were of his own ideas. But perhaps his greatest one was a combination of Tempest's magic blast and a large snake-like dragon dancing in and out of the blasts. TD gave a sheepish smile at that one.

"Tempest helped me out with that one," he said, "I had her store her blast into a magic bottle, then carefully worked it into the fireworks. And yes, I'm aware that her real name is Fizzlepop Berry Twist. I just like to call her by that because it's easier for me. After all, very few actually refer to me by my own real name here."

"That and it sounds cooler," Chuck said. "I won't say which one I'm referring to."

TD chuckled, then looked around at the Equestrians sitting on the beach watching the fireworks. He couldn't help but notice a few lovely couples among the crowd, whether romantic or simply just as friends. Diana was snuggled up against Plank along with a few other Changelings as the Timberwolf looked down at them with a smile in his eyes. Tracker and Screwball had apparently gotten over their awkward moment, or at least enough to sit beside each other as they watched the spectacle. The two made a stark contrast: colorful pony and pale vampire, but it was a cute contrast. Zach was sitting near Sugar Plum as they watched the spectacle. He seemed to be keeping his distance from her in a sense, as if uncertain if he should make a move or not, but it was clear that he enjoyed her company nonetheless. At one point, he looked back at the two fathers watching him and gave them a shrug, along with a look that said, "What do I do?" TD laughed.

"Love in bloom, or simply an awkward moment?" TD said aloud, "Either way, he should probably do something."

"And whatever he does, he had better be VERY careful in whatever it is," Chuck said, his papa bear senses kicking in.

TD laughed again. "Chuck, give the kid some slack. He's not gonna pull anything major on her. They're both a little too young for that yet. Physically, at least; Zach's pretty much an adult mentally."

"At least he knows how to think like a child," Twilight added, coming up to her husband. He smiled and pulled her close to him. She nuzzled up against him as they looked up at the sky, just in time to see one explode into a large pink heart. TD shrugged when he saw that.

"Huh. Must've grabbed one of the Valentine specials y accident," he said aloud, "Oh well! Can't deny it's pretty."

Chuck crossed his front legs. "I like to imagine I have the right to being protective."

"Dad," Sugar Plum said sternly.

"You also have the right to remain silent, right to an attorney, etc.," TD replied, "Your point? Let the kids have their fun. Also, Sugar Plum! If Zach's feeling too shy, don't be afraid to take the initiative. Sometimes he just needs some coaxing."

"Dad!" Zach protested, a small blush appearing on his face. Across from them, Screwball and Tracker laughed aloud. They clearly didn't have the same shyness issues.

Let's go you," Pinkie grabbed Chuck by his bow tie. "Let our daughter have some privacy."

"Yep. That's what two adolescents need, _privacy,_ " Chuck said flatly.

"What exactly do you think's gonna happen?" TD asked. He then added quickly, "Don't answer that. I probably don't want to know."

Twilight giggled at that, then leaned into him with a sigh.

"You know, despite what happened earlier, today is perhaps the happiest day of my life," she said to TD, "Especially seeing our children growing up."

"It is a warming moment," TD agreed. He let out a sigh of his own as he listened to the waves. "I wonder if Red and Sonata would've liked coming here tonight. The two really like the ocean, so it'd be fitting."

"Who doesn't like the ocean?" Sterling asked, skipping a rock on the water.

"There's that old stallion who tried to drain it once. He tried to stab it when that didn't work," Sweet Tooth mentioned.

"That ravings of a mad man..." Sterling sighed.

"Believe it or not, some people have a fear of the ocean," Zach pointed out, his glowing eyes making his statement feel a bit more dramatic than intended.

"Even vampires," Tracker added, "Which is ironic, considering that we can't be killed by most means."

"I wonder if fish look at the land like we think of the ocean..." Sterling pondered.

"And now we know that the brains of the family went to me..." Sweet Tooth muttered.

"Perhaps they do," Diana stated, speaking for the first time that day, "It's a mystery to all of what creatures may think. If you want to find out for yourself, sometimes it just takes a little time."

Plank made a low, friendly bark and the deaf filly reached up to scratch his ear. The Changelings neat her watched in awe at how calm and tame Plank was... or at least how much more tame he seemed around Diana. Sugar Plum approached the Timber Wolf and sat down beside it, smiling.

"Hi," she said.

Plank's response was to make a friendly growl in his throat and he brought his head down and nuzzled it against her own.

"That means he likes you," Diana said with a smile. "I believe he wants to be a friend."

"Since when did Plank not like having friends?" Zach asked with a chuckle, as he approached the two. Sugar Plum started to pet the head of him slowly and gently, smiling at him.

Plank made a happy whine and his tail wagged a bit, much to the amusement of the younger children. Zach chuckled at the sight. Tracker came up beside them with Screwball to join in on the conversation more fully. Tracker was still in his vampire form, so his bat wings and fangs were still visible, but his eyes held a kind note to them that made everyone feel calm around him. Screwball giggled as Plank licked her a few times.

"Stop!" she protested playfully, "You're messing up my mane!"

Chuck's two biological children, Sterling and Sweet Tooth, began to laugh, watching the display before walking over to join them.

"I like having Plank around," one of the Changelings stated, "He's so friendly."

"Well, I did raise him as a puppy," Zach pointed out. Plank gave him a smirk, then suddenly grabbed the colt and pulled him into a big hug. Zach returned it shortly after recovering from his surprise, not caring that anyone was watching.

"Awww!" several female Changelings remarked.

"And now by the looks of it he's still very much a puppy, but larger." Sweet Tooth remarked.

"Big wooden puppy!" Sterling beamed, encapturing the same enthusiasm as his mother.

Plank barked when he heard that, earning laughter from the group. Zach finally released himself from the Timberwolf's grip and said, "Well, I can honestly say that this is probably the best day ever."

"I'll say," Tracker agreed, "I haven't had this much fun in thirty years."

Everyone looked at him strangely when he said that, but Screwball explained, "Vampires don't usually age. At least not at a noticeable pace."

"Dermatologists and Botox doctors hate him." Chuck snickered. TD chuckled again, then looked back up at the sky as the fireworks display rolled on. It's true that he still felt sorry that Hornet was gone, but he wasn't sad. More like, wistful. And he knew that if the Changeling general could see them now, he'd be proud that his daughter had such a loving bunch of friends.

Better yet, family...

* * *

 **Whew! This took over a week or two to make due to writer's block. But I did it!**

 **Big thanks to** _Impressionsguy_ **for helping out with Chuck, Sugar Plum, Sweet Tooth, and Sterling. Normally, I'd be a bit nervous about implementing the younger Pie children into the story due to our arrangement, but since you're the one who tried that in the first place, we good!**

 **Thanks everyone else for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see ya next time!**

 **Peace!**


	34. Chucks Collide and A Cheeky Move

**Let's a go! This is another collab chapter with Impressionsguy.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Chuck!" TD shouted from outside the respective Changeling hive, "I think I need more bug spray to keep your Changelings from messing with my potions!"

Chuck shot him a glare as he came outside. "That's GOT to be some form of racism."

"Last I checked, it isn't," TD stated, "But hey! It's the one thing that keeps them off of the stuff. It's not that I don't like your Changelings; it's that the potions are extremely dangerous to be around. Seriously, I don't want to have someone kiss another frog!"

"Right. Well, I'll put out a decree and behead the next Changeling who does. Deal?" He asked.

TD laughed. "Someone's going down the darker side of being a king."

"I kid. Bit it won't happen again," Chuck chuckled. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"Nothing much really," TD stated, "I mostly just wanted to come on by and chat for a bit. You know, for old times sake. I don't seem to see you as often as I'd like. And on the days your aren't in the tavern, it can feel a little lonely."

"Well, as a king I don't really have time to serve booze anymore. Shame though, I kind of miss it sometimes."

"It's not so much the serving booze as it is your presence, Chuck," TD stated, "Plus, Sterling is showing some pretty considerable talent at it. Maybe he might just top your own skills."

TD gave Chuck a teasing smile when he said that.

"Congrats to him if he does," Chuck said. "I'll be happy for the kid."

"Do you think Zach might be able to get a job there?" TD asked, "I know his talent is in potions, but he'd understand the basics pretty well. He asked about it earlier this week."

"Well, so long as he doesn't blow the place up," Chuck chuckled a little. "But yes, absolutely. I'd be happy to let him work there."

"Blow the place up?" TD asked as if a bit ticked off, but he was still smiling. "Just because I do that doesn't mean he will. Besides, his idea of a prank is usually along the lines of what RD would do."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Chuck said, "Tell him he starts Monday."

"I think he already heard," TD chuckled, because right when Chuck had finished, a scroll had appeared in front of TD from out of a cloud of feathers.

"Great," Chuck said, "Now, I've got a banquet to attend, Pinkie's off on delegate business, wanna be my plus one?"

"That's a risky thing to ask me, isn't it?" TD replied with obvious play in his tone and expression. "Sure! I'll come. But be warned, I think Tracker and Screwball may be around the area as well. Something about a date."

"Nothing more romantic than this oversized beehive," Chuck said sarcastically with a slight grin. "Speaking of dates..." He began, eluding to a couple of small events that had happened a few weeks before with his adopted daughter and TD's son.

TD chuckled. "I had a feeling it was headed that way. Glad to see it worked out alright. Wedding bells in the future, readers? Or am I pushing it?"

"Heh. Well, we'll have to see huh?" Chuck asked.

"I have a feeling it will happen," TD replied with a wink to those reading this.

Way to be subtle, TD.

"Why, thank you author! You're too kind," TD said seemingly out of the blue.

"Riiiiight," Chuck said. "Now let's go. I don't want to keep everyone waiting."

"Lead the way," TD said, switching to his Changeling form as he followed Chuck towards the festivities.

 **Meanwhile, in another world not too unlike this one...**

"How long has it been?" A yellow earth pony stallion with a puffy brown mane and green shirt, Cheese Sandwich asked as he spun around in a stool within Chuck's tavern. In this universe, Chuck never became a Changeling king; Pinkie was not even a Changeling herself.

"April 13th, 2009," Chuck said simply.

"Couldn't have been that long!" Cheese remarked.

"Since you've had a shower?" A tan stocky earth pony stallion, Quibble said. "Oh, it's been even longer."

"No, I mean since something interesting has happened!" Cheese said.

Just then, Chuck heard a voice that he somewhat dreaded hearing.

"Well, perhaps the Great and Powerful Trixie can fix that for you!"

As if to confirm his nightmares, Trixie herself walked into the tavern, hat, cape, and all.

"Oh great." Chuck muttered, "Hello Trixie. What can I get you?" He asked with gritted teeth.

"Better manners, probably," she muttered before saying aloud, "The usual. And Trixie doesn't want to have it spiked too much this time!"

"I'm gonna spike it with ipecac syrup one of these days..." Chuck snickered to himself, pouring the drink. "Here you go." He gave the drink to her. Trixie drank from it, then said with a smirk, "So, Trixie hears that you need something interesting to happen. Well, what if Trixie told you that Trixie found a spell that could do the trick?"

"That depends, what's interesting about the spell?" Chuck asked slowly, thinking about his past experiences with her spells, between Pinkie undergoing a personality transplant and Chuck being shrunken down to a rodent like height.

"This spell will allow you to experience things beyond this world," Trixie said dramatically, maybe a bit too dramatically, "An entire new world to see. What do you think? Trixie has memorized the spell and can cast it at any time."

"It sounds... intriguing." Chuck admitted.

"Excellent!" she said excitedly, "Now, do you wish for a companion? Because Trixie cannot stop the spell once cast."

"Memememememememememe!" Pinkie exclaimed, popping out from the back room.

"Well, I guess, Pinkie. But... what was that about not being able to stop the spell?" Chuck asked.

"Trixie meant that she can't stop midway," Trixie explained, "Now, hold still!"

Trixie's horn glowed and a beam of magic struck both Chuck and Pinkie. After a few seconds, the two suddenly disappeared from the room. Trixie looked surprised.

"Uh...that wasn't supposed to happen," she said nervously.

 **Meanwhile...**

"What a banquet!" King Chuck said as he and TD walked out. "Those cream cheese tartelettes were to die for."

"I'll say," TD replied, "I particularly liked that spell I placed on the desserts to get at that one snob. Exploding cake? Priceless! I need to thank Screwball for that one!"

"Yeah. Thank you SO much for ruining the trade deal with South Cowrea. I REALLY needed that. You're lucky that wasn't a North Cowrea delegate." Chuck said sarcastically as they walked through the valley.

"Cowrea?" TD asked, doing an impression of Guilty Spark from Halo, "Why must you Hasbro fans use such in-the-face puns?"

"I thought it was funny," Chuck defended it. Suddenly, above them, a portal opened and two figures fell from the sky, crashing down into the field.

TD looked surprised, but that expression soon faded.

"Typical," he said, "At this rate, you might as well have Rick and Morty come into the picture."

Right when he said that, a green portal appeared and the people in question came through.

"Hey, is this the Wannabe Earth dimension?" Rick asked TD.

"No, that was two portals before this one," TD stated.

"Aww! I knew that we should've taken that left turn Rick!" Morty complained.

"Oh really Morty? Well, why don't you try using this thing, you little-"

The portal closed on them before they could finish.

"Because cursing and swearing is prohibited here," TD said with a chuckle. Meanwhile, just fifty meters away from that conversation...

"Ow..." Chuck whined. "I haven't fell from the sky like that in a while."

"Now I know how that felt for you," Pinkie remarked. "No wonder you were in such a sour mood that day..."

TD suddenly straightened and looked to the Changeling beside him. He was in human form, so he had to look slightly downwards, but for him that might as well have been normal at this point.

"Chuck," he said, "Please tell me that you heard those ponies speaking with the same voices I heard them speaking with."

"You mean one who sounded like a chipmunk and one who had a sultry Frank Sinatra voice?" He quipped. "Yes. Yes I heard the same voices," He admitted.

Curious, TD walked closer to the two, then almost felt like he had gone to a different universe, because he recognized the figures before him.

"Pinkie Pie?" he asked, "And...Chuck?!"

"Yeah, it's us." Pony Chuck said, standing up. "Who's Bug Face?" He pointed to his Changeling self.

"I'm you, Fat Face." King Chuck said dryly.

"Watch it, you two," TD said, "Or I'll lock you in the inflatable room full of rats. And trust me when I say this, you do NOT want that to happen."

"Or I can execute him." King Chuck suggested.

"If you try it, you'll seriously regret it," TD stated, "I did not go through all that trouble of trying to support him so he could stay in his Equestria, or save his tavern's business, etc etc just to have it all go to waste now!"

"You must be from a reality where you're poor, aren't you?" King Chuck asked smugly.

"Not poor. Financially challenged," Chuck said.

"That technically means poor Chuck," TD stated, "Although last I checked, you're happy too. And that's all that counts, isn't it?"

TD suddenly sneezed and his image changed to his pony form, without the glasses. He groaned and muttered, "Gotta fix that."

"So... what's with the buggy get-up?" Chuck asked his alternate self.

"It's a long story," King Chuck said. "Perhaps I'll tell you over a cigar."

"I knew I'd like you. Lead the way, King Me." Chuck smiled.

"On that note, why are you so silent Pinkie?" TD asked the pink mare nearby, "Or are you suffering from that whole 'I'm in another universe' thing? That's how the Pinkie Pie here acted once."

"My fiance just ditched me to smoke cigars with himself," Pinkie said kind of flatly. "But you're right, this is crazy!"

"Don't worry about Chuck. Both of them for that matter," TD said, "I guarantee that he hasn't forgotten about you. He's just curious about his alternate self. I would be too, if I had one. But if you think this is crazy now, wait until you see yourself."

"Where is me anyway?" She asked.

"I think delegate matters," TD said, "But she should be returning right...now."

As if on cue, the sound of insect wings could be heard flapping in the distance.

"Wow!" TD remarked, "Again, am I writing this story?"

No, you're just a Fourth Wall breaker.

"Still counts, author!" he shouted back.

"Hi TD!" Queen Pinkie said as she fluttered down. "Whoa! What's me doing here?" She remarked.

"I have no idea," TD replied, "but maybe she can answer that."

"Trixie is the long and the short of the story," pony Pinkie said.

"Oh my g- I swear, when I come back to your universe, I'm gonna kill her!" TD shouted.

"Don't kill her, kill my fiance. He's the one who agreed to this." Pinkie joked.

TD looked to her and grinned. "But if I did that, there'd be no story. And I like that story."

"What story?" Pinkie asked. "Is Chuckie writing a story?"

"You call YOUR Chuckie "Chuckie" too? No way!" Queen Pinkie exclaimed.

"Well, it is you in a sense," TD explained. "And I'm surprised you never knew, Pinkie Pie. After all, you can break the Fourth Wall, like I can."

"Oh yeah! I know what you mean. That's why sometimes when he talks there's a spelling error, like whoever decides what he says doesn't care enough to spell check," Pinkie said.

"Hey, _Impressionsguy_ does his best," TD defended, "Besides, I'm not a clean slate either. I have spelling errors all over my stories. Check them out carefully, and you'll see what I mean."

"Pobody's nerfect!" Pinkie giggled.

TD laughed when he heard that. "This is exactly why I love the show! You just have this childlike attitude that you tend to apply to just about everything! It's hilarious!"

In reply, the two Pinkie Pies just giggled.

"Come on! I'll show you around the hive! Maybe we'll find our Chuckies! I know where his secret lounge is."

Queen Pinkie took the other Pinkie and led her towards the hive. TD simply watched them go with amusement, then looked up at the night sky.

"I swear, someone needs to keep the Trixie from the other universe on a short leash. Next time I see her... I'll give her a piece of my mind! And some lessons."

Without much else to do, TD followed after the two Pinkies, pausing at the entrance for only a moment to say hello to the guards there, who seemed to be friends with him.

* * *

Meanwhile, the two Chucks had formed a bit of a friendship, which isn't all that surprising; of course one would get along well with themselves.

"So, you just run the bar where you come from?" King Chuck asked.

"It's a modest employment. I enjoy it," Pony Chuck nodded.

"Hello!" TD 's voice echoed from outside. It sounded like he was messing around with the hive's tunnel-like logic and taking his sweet time to reach them.

"Wanna pretend we didn't hear anything?" Pony Chuck asked.

"Don't be rude," King Chuck said, "Besides, he knows where the lounge is anyway." He added before calling out, "We're in the lounge!"

"I already knew that," TD replied. He suddenly sounded as if he was in the room, although neither Chuck had seen him enter.

"Over here, next to the record player!" TD called. Upon obliging, the two saw a music box with a miniature version of TD's pony form standing on it. The music box played a short tune for a few seconds, allowing the figure to look straight at them. As if to confirm that it was actually TD, the figure blinked a few times, then spoke.

"I'll admit, this wasn't the most original idea. I borrowed it from Twilight, in case it wasn't obvious."

"I knew I didn't recognize that music box..." King Chuck remarked.

"Oh sure!" TD said in annoyance as he looked to those reading this story, "NOW he notices. Is that just a flaw with collabs, or a general thing that happens here in Equestria?"

"What can we do for you? We're having cigar time," Pony Chuck said before blowing a smoke ring.

"How about less smoke in an enclosed space?" TD asked with a cough, "Don't you boys know that smoking is hazardous to your health?"

"So is a high cholesterol diet, no one says anything about that," King Chuck said.

"And hot dogs," Pony Chuck added. "High sugar diet too."

"Don't forget glue huffing, where's the ban on glue huh?" King Chuck added. "But we get your point. I'll crack a window." He said getting up.

"Don't bother," TD said. The music box suddenly started playing again, this time at a faster pace, spinning him round like a top. In less than a few seconds, all the smoke had cleared and a new window was opened up in the lounge. However, it didn't look like it opened up in Equestria.

"I did a bit of a dimensional gateway," TD replied, "I'm sure that coal facility back on Earth won't notice a little more smoke."

"Whaddya doing? Fueling the fire that's slowly killing my native world? What's the deal with that?" King Chuck asked, imitating comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Pony Chuck watched in awe as his Changeling self even became the comedian to do the impression.

"Wow. Where have you been all my life?" Pony Chuck remarked.

"Across a space/time jump," TD stated, "And for the record, that's my native world too, Chuck. And last I checked, it ain't getting any better."

"Tell me about it," Pony Chuck remarked.

"Where are our Pinkie Pies?" King Chuck asked.

"Last I heard, your Queen is showing her pony self around the hive," TD stated. He then started spinning again as the music bow started up, but much slower this time. As it did, TD started commenting on his own condition.

"Twilight says that this is supposed to be comforting when you can listen to music and talk to someone. Comforting my boot! No offense to her, but I found that a little bit creepy when she did it on Starlight Glimmer. The only thing that fixed it for me was the part where she hyperventilated." He laughed a bit. "It's hilarious to watch most the time."

"You can stop the gig. We don't need comfort," Chuck said.

"Fine by me," TD said with a shrug, "Besides, the most I could do now is that one song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." He started moving his arms and head about, causing them to make some odd noises whenever he did. He also sang a bit.

 _What do you see, you people gazing at me?_  
 _You see a doll on a music box that's wound by a key._  
 _How can you tell I'm under spell?_  
 _I'm waiting for love's first kiss._

He stopped spinning and basically acting up for a moment. "I know it's an old movie, but how the heck did Truly do that? The noises alone are physically impossible. I'm only able to do it because Chaos magic allows you to get away with a lot of things."

"One of life's great mysteries, like who killed John Lennon." King Chuck sighed.

"I think they know who killed John Lennon," Pony Chuck spoke up.

"No idea who that is," TD said, "I really need to get out more."

The music box suddenly seemed to become lifeless, with the TD figure turning into a pegasus ballerina. TD then suddenly appeared from out of the record player in his Changeling form

"No records were harmed in the making of this story," he said briefly as he brushed himself off. Just then, the door of the lounge swung open and the two Pinkies walked in.

"Hi Chuckie!" Queen Pinkie said as they entered.

"Were you talking to me or him?" King Chuck asked.

"Who do you think, silly?" Queen Pinkie giggled.

"Yep, this is gonna be as confusing as that time when there were two Twilights in front of me," TD muttered, but he was smiling with amusement.

"Not too confusing, considering our different forms." Pony Chuck said, as pony Pinkie nuzzled against him. "Unless you aren't my Pinkie Pie."

"I am," She giggled.

"As long as Changeling Pinkie doesn't put up her disguise," TD stated, "And even then, I think there'd still be some giveaways. Like the fact that I can see through Changeling disguises as if they don't exist."

"Well isn't that something?" Changeling Chuck said, changing into the form of Larry King. "Lemme tell ya, what can't this fella do? Making me look like a real putz here!"

"I'm not married yet," Pony Chuck said, in awe of himself. "I will marry you."

"Really?" Pony Pinkie asked.

"No. Well, if the situation was different maybe," He admitted.

"Could we not say that please?" TD asked, "I'm straight, and getting into topics on gays and such is not a good subject for me."

"My mistake," Pony Chuck said before puffing the cigar again, blowing a smoke ring.

"What did I say about the cigars Chuckie?" Pinkie asked him. His eyelids drooped as he put it out.

"You want to see me live past my forties, and the cigars won't help that." He said monotonely.

"At least someone agrees with me," TD remarked, pulling out an old favorite of his: a pipe that blew bubbles out instead of smoke. He gave it a few puffs, letting the bubbles float about the room.

"Yet, you know, she eats about ten times more sugar than what's recommended," Chuck mumbled.

"But I burn that all off. You can't burn off sick lungs!" Pinkie reminded him.

"Right," He said flatly.

"Enough bickering," King Chuck said. "We must not squander this occasion of perfect company. Let us go and enjoy ourselves."

"I love it when you talk like that," Queen Pinkie said.

"I do too," TD replied, "But for the record, Pinkie's not the only one with an over-consumption problem. Me, I've probably eaten more salt back home than is safe for the human body to consume. How I have survived that all these years is beyond me."

"Come, let's get out of this lounge. Let's get some sunlight," King Chuck said, leading the group.

"One problem about that," TD remarked, "I think it's nighttime right now, and Lulu is still somewhat sore at me for that time when I messed with the time of day."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" a female voice suddenly boomed from outside.

"Sure! When pigs fly!" TD stated. As if on cue, a pig with wings appeared out of nowhere and started flapping its wings. TD, however, was not impressed.

"Until that pig achieves liftoff without those wings growing as a result of Chaos magic, that does not count," he said.

"I saw an episode of The Simpsons where something like that happened," King Chuck mentioned as they walked.

"I love that episode!" Pony Chuck said, "Finally, someone else to talk about it with."

"At least they're getting along," Queen Pinkie giggled.

"So well that it might be hard to get them to leave each other when we go home!" Pony Pinkie remarked.

"Don't worry!" TD stated, "I can always arrange something to make it work out. Maybe a magic mirror or scroll. Oh wait! Maybe I can use that dimensional time/space communicator that I used for those non-canon OC chats Chuck had with Bill Prower and the gang back on Mobius!"

"I suppose we can manage a long distance friendship," Pony Chuck sighed.

"Hey, when you inevitably go broke running that bar, I'll let you move here," King Chuck snickered.

"You never know, things could change," TD replied, "Especially with me around. I can easily support him...assuming that he isn't so stubborn. Seriously, I swear you get that from AJ. Which reminds me, do you think the orphanage is still open at this hour? If it is, I guarantee that's where Diana will be for the time being."

"No, it's closed for the evenings and the orphans have to sleep outside," Pony Chuck said.

"Zing!" King Chuck laughed, "But, it probably is still open."

"In that case, why don't we try that one cafe that Ivory seems to like?" TD suggested, "We'll be passing the orphanage on the way there, so I could kill two birds with one stone. Figuratively speaking of course; I believe the last time I killed two birds with one stone was when I had a quarrel with the eagles in Middle-Earth. Needless to say, it didn't end well."

"I never did like The Eagles,.I was more of a Patriots fan," King Chuck mentioned.

"Not those Eagles, but you've got a point," Pony Chuck stated.

"Want to get together just the two of us next time?" Pony Pinkie asked her alternate self.

"Definitely," Queen Pinkie nodded.

"Another time, my friends!" TD remarked, as an old car of some kind appeared, with him inside. He started driving off, but keeping a reasonable distance from his friends. At one point, a cart was in his path and he ended up driving over the top of both cart and pony, somehow not harming either.

"Road-hog!" TD shouted in a Mr. Magoo voice, before his car crashed some ways away.

"Someone got their license in a box of Cracker Jacks." King Chuck snickered.

"License?" Queen Pinkie asked.

"Cracker Jacks?" Pony Pinkie added. King Chuck just rolled his eyes.

"I got the joke." Pony Chuck said, supporting his friend/self.

"Where's the leak, ma'am?" TD shouted, ignoring the fact that the streets were pretty much empty save for the lot of them. He staggered out of the wreckage as a wannabe version of Patrick Star, then switched to his pony form. His glasses weren't on, and in the night air they glowed intimidatingly.

"Not that it matters," TD replied in response to what I just wrote, "Everyone around here knows who I am, and very few actually freak out about it."

This is getting old...

"Older than dirt," Pinkie giggled.

Oh no...not you too!

"Get used to it, Author," TD said aloud, "because I feel like this is gonna be a reoccurring theme."

"What are they talking about?" Pony Chuck asked.

"Just smile and nod boy, smile and nod." King Chuck instructed.

By now, the group had started to pass the orphanage. TD did a quick run inside, then popped back out after a few minutes.

"Looks like Diana will be spending the night with AJ," TD said, "And I'm willing to bet that I know where Zach's gonna be. But, I don't want to spoil his evening, so I'll leave it at that."

"With my daughter?" King Chuck asked.

"You've got kids?" Pony Chuck asked.

"Yep, three!" Queen Pinkie exclaimed.

"Aww! I want foals! Why can't WE be the ones with foals?" Pony Pinkie moped.

"Maybe! Yep, and adorable ones at that! And, there's still plenty of time for that! In that order!" TD remarked, smiling broadly.

"Besides, I am eighteen years older than you," King Chuck said.

"You look good for forty," Pony Chuck said.

"It's all in the skin cream," King Chuck boasted.

"It's called, 'long life,'" TD stated bluntly, "That's coming from a guy who's not immortal, yet manages to live longer than most immortals do outside of his world."

Just then, TD looked up and noticed a sign on a building.

"Welp! We're here!" he said joyously, "COME ON IIINNN!"

Without waiting for the others, he rushed inside.

"Maybe Ivory will be here." King Chuck said walking in.

"You've got an Ivory too? Crazy..." Pony Chuck remarked as the group stepped inside.

The first thing they saw was that they weren't the only ones who had decided to come there that night. Apparently, Screwball and Tracker had arrived at the place too and were seated at a table of their own just across from each other. It was a bit odd to see them together, for Tracker's vampirism had occurred when he was ten years old, and as such he still looked around that age now. Thankfully, Screwball also looked somewhat like a child despite her own age. Plus, she always seemed to have a child-like personality no matter how old she grew, so that helped too. The two noticed the group and waved to them, apparently not surprised to see two of each pony.

"Some things don't change." Pony Chuck smiled looking around.

"It's nice to see something familiar!" His fiancee nodded.

"You want familiar? Maybe we should stop by the bar later." King Chuck said. "My son can meet his father from another timeline."

"Not the safest idea, Chuck!" TD shouted from a table up ahead. How he had gotten there without any of them noticing earlier was beyond them, but then again he was a Chaotic being. A waiter noticed him and with a shriek, he ran out of the room. And no wonder, for TD was still in pony form, and still without his sunglasses.

"I think that was the same waiter from that alternate reality involving me and Ivory," TD said with a chuckle as they got closer. "Which reminds me, does she even know about that yet?"

"No. And she won't be hearing it from me," King Chuck concluded.

"Oh, so I am the one to tell her?" TD stated, "No offense, but even after giving her that piano, I doubt she's on as friendly a level with me as she is with you. So, in other words, I'm screwed. But, if you won't say it, I will do it anyways. I just hope she understands that I didn't plan on seeing that reality. Actually, I don't plan on seeing any of them; I just roll with the punches."

There's always the option of not saying a word," King Chuck mumbled.

"True neutral, like Sweden," Pony Chuck nodded approvingly.

"But knowing me, that's not gonna happen," TD replied. He then looked to them. "Are you sitting down or what? I didn't reserve this table for myself and my clones, easy thought that may have been."

The group obliged and sat down. Pony Pinkie began crumbling up small rips of her napkin and catapulting them with her spoon.

"Oh! Oh! Watch this," TD said, getting her attention. Suddenly, a miniature army of Nintendo Toads appeared on the table in the middle of a battle with miniature skeleton warriors. One of them rushed forward with a sword and shouted, "Fight! Launch the cannons!"

Mini cannons were fired and another spoon was used as a catapult to fire napkin pieces at each other. A huge skirmish had begun.

This display gained disapproving looks from the waitstaff.

"Please cease and desist or you'll be asked to leave," the manager said.

"And what can you do about it?" TD laughed, "It's pretty one-sided here, even if you had the entire staff try to take me on. But, if you insist."

The army disappeared and TD looked up from the now-cleared battlefield.

"I'll take the usual, please," he said politely.

"Mhm." A waiter mumbled.

"I'll have my usual as well, I assume my friend here will take the same?" King Chuck motioned to Pony Chuck, who nodded.

"Milkshakes for us please!" The Pinkies said.

"We don't ser-" the waiter was cit off by King Chuck, who slid a large tip across the table.

"Just make it happen," he said flatly.

"Trust me, you may just want to do it for them," TD said, then added, "You'll find the necessary ingredients in a new compartment in the freezer."

"Very well." The waiter nodded, walking away. TD looked to King Chuck as they left.

"You're welcome."

"I just wish you did that before he took my tip," He said flatly.

"He wouldn't have done it without the tip," TD explained. "Trust me, I know. Twi and I once tried something like that to see if it would work. That was a negative, captain."

TD leaned back in his chair as he waited for their orders, his chair turning upside down while he floated in the air.

"At least my magic allows me to cope with this," he said to no one in particular, "So does anyone have anything they'd like to talk about?"

"Like counseling? Nope." Pony Chuck shook his head.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'what's new in your life.' Counseling is for when Twilight's involved. Or whenever people ask me."

TD pulled out a drawing pad and started to write something on it, possibly a picture.

"Ah. Well, my bowling league is going good," Chuck said.

"Again with the bowling league," Pinkie mumbled.

"What? He can't talk about that kind of stuff?" TD asked with a cheeky smile. He pulled out his drawing pad and showed a perfectly drawn picture of Chuck rolling a bowling ball towards some pins. It was as if he had actually been there in person.

"I'm a cheap bugger, aren't I?" he chuckled. "Ironically, bowling is one of the few sports I'm willing to play, even though I'm crap at it."

"The beauty of it is that it's hardly a sport," Chuck grinned.

"Each to his own, I suppose," TD said, drawing on his pad again. He almost didn't notice the waiters approaching in the distance until his pen broke.

"Drat!" TD remarked. "Oh well! I'm not sure many ponies would like to see their version of the Joker anyways."

"I kinda would," The Chucks admitted.

"Then you may keep this. One for each once I fix it," TD stated as he summoned another pen. He then looked up in time to receive his plate: three sausages with a salad and some peaches.

"I have a strange diet, admittedly," TD said as he set it before him. "I'm also a bit picky sometimes."

"And I thought MY diet was weird," King Chuck remarked.

"What do Changelings eat? Love ain't it?" Chuck asked.

"Actually, we can eat whatever we want!" Queen Pinkie explained.

"Well, your species can," TD pointed out, "But I can't speak for the other Changeling hives out there. Especially Thorax's hive. In fact, I haven't ever seen his hive eat anything food-wise before."

"They're missing out, my chef, Epsilon makes the best garlic bread I've ever tasted." King Chuck sighed happily.

"And deserts!" Pinkie added.

"Garlic!?" a colt's voice suddenly shouted in fear from across the restaurant, "Where?!"

"Calm down, Tracker," TD called, "No one's pulled out garlic yet!" He then turned to the Pony Pinkie and Chuck. "Guess why he's scared of that..."

"Allergies?" Pinkie asked.

"He's a vampire?" Chuck asked jokingly.

"No to the allergies, yes to the vampire," TD said bluntly.

"Really!?" Pinkie asked.

TD smiled. "Don't worry. He's a good guy, once you get to know him. Also, blood isn't his only diet. He can literally eat the color red if he has to, and he's really good at keeping his hunger pangs under control whenever he is hungry. Or thirsty? Yeah, I've never been entirely sure which one it is. And I was once a vampire myself."

"That means he can eat you, so watch out!" Queen Pinkie giggled joking to pony Chuck as his coat was a bright red.

"I figured, not like I wouldn't be good or anything. I am nice and tender!" He called out the last part. "I especially would pair well with barbecue sauce!" He called out.

"Chuckie." Pinkie said almost sternly.

"I'll keep that in mind whenever I'm hungry!" Tracker shouted back teasingly.

"Pray that he makes it swift!" Screwball shouted to them, also in a teasing manner.

"Sucker! Good luck, I'll be back in my own dimension before he can even set his oven to 'broil', right?" Chuck looked to TD.

"If he wasn't my adopted son, that would make you safe," TD said with a smirk, "but since he is... yeah, he'd find a way, eventually."

TD laughed and the sausages on his plate laughed too.

"Again, be thankful that pony blood isn't part of his regular diet."

"Those sausages must be extra rare, am I right?" Chuck snickered. Meanwhile, the sight made his vegetarian wife green in the face. TD noticed this and gave an apologetic smile.

"Forgot that you never saw me eating this kind of stuff in your universe. I'm sorry if it bothers you, but unfortunately it's one of the few things I can actually eat in Equestria. Humans have an omnivorous diet, although there are a few vegetarians among them."

TD sighed as he took a bite from one of the sausages. Considering that it was laughing earlier, it was a relief that it didn't make a sound when he bit into it.

"When you think about it, vegetables and plants have to die to be eaten too," King Chuck pointed out.

"Did you HAVE to bring that up?" Queen Pinkie replied.

"I don't know if plants and veggies experience things like that in the way we do," TD said with a thoughtful expression, "But she has a point. Don't dwell on it, or else it'll quickly ruin your life."

"Hi kids! Today we have a lesson in mortality!" Chuck mimicked, picking up a tomato.

"That's right! For example, I get brutally mutilated to be the pickle in your sandwich!" He mimicked with a cucumber. King Chuck snorted a laugh, getting a look from his wife. Unfortunately for the Pinkies, TD laughed a bit as well.

"Okay, that was good," TD said, "but could we not make fun of Veggie Tales, please? I make fun of the show this Fanfic is based on enough as it is. Plus, I think you offended someone." He put on a Southern accent. "That ain't funny, is it sis?"

"My apologies," Chuck mumbled.

By now, everyone's meals had arrived, including the milkshakes for the two Pinkies, and for a moment they were all silent save for the noises made when consuming their food. TD changed into his pony form at one time during this and used his horn to simultaneously draw on his drawing pad and levitate food to his mouth. After he finished most of his food, he showed them the drawing: a perfect picture of Chuck and Pinkie both in pony form and Changeling form.

"I'm not a good artist," he said, "but my magic can allow you to get away with things like this. What do you think?"

"It's... stunning." Chuck remarked.

"Wow! I love it!" Pinkie nodded, the Changelings nodded with them.

"You do?" TD asked, "You can have it, and I even have a copy for the Changeling group too. In memory of this event."

"I know I'd like that," Pinkie said.

"So would we," King Chuck said.

"Then here you go," TD said, handing each couple their pictures. He then shouted in the direction of Tracker and Screwball, "Don't be out too late, you two!"

"We won't!" they called back. It sounded like they were leaving. TD chuckled.

"They remind me of myself and Twilight when we first started dating officially."

"Remember when we first started?" Chuck asked Pinkie.

"Yeah. You seemed different then, almost as if you didn't have a completely fleshed out personality," Pinkie said.

"Well... I'm glad you saw past that," Chuck said.

TD smiled, then looked at a watch on his arm, and then back up to them.

"Your time here is growing short and I must send you back soon. Do me a favor though when you get there: lock up the spells Trixie keeps getting into. As fun as this was, I do NOT want to deal with this again."

"I wouldn't mind it," King Chuck admitted. "I like having Other Me around. Who'll be my cigar buddy?"

"If I don't send them back soon, no one will be," TD replied, this time more seriously, "They can't stay here much longer, thanks to the quality of a spell-caster Trixie is. Yes, she may have used a high-level spell, but her quality in spellcasting... it sucks. However, I may be able to arrange visits myself if you want. Plus, I'll be popping on by in your universe every once in a while, pony Chuck." He grinned. "After all, I still have plenty of mischief to cause there. And support to lend."

"I suppose that will do," Pony Chuck admitted. "I'm gonna miss you, King me."

"I'll miss you too... Poor me," King Chuck replied, "I'll crack open my aged bourbon the next time you come over."

"I'll hold you to that," Pony Chuck chuckled.

"Let's get outside to do this then," TD said standing up, "I don't want the management to get mad at me... or at least more than they already are."

"Let's go!" Pinkie took Chuck, secretly eager to get him away from his dapper, rich, cigar puffing self.

"I saw that," TD said sternly in response to the last sentence, but he still obliged and followed them outside.

"Okay then," he told them, "Just...hold hands or something. Stand close together... and away you go!"

A beam fired from his hands and they slowly started to fade away like ghosts. TD waved to them as they left.

"Cya later Chuck!" he called, "Keep an eye out, I may be visiting again sometime soon! Until then, keep Trixie on a short leash for me! And tell Ivory I said hello!"

And with that, they were gone.

"So, maybe since I won't see him again. Wanna use your expanded lifespan to be my wife AND cigar buddy?" King Chuck offered.

"I'll pass," She said, "But I'll be your cuddle buddy!"

"Cigars, silk robes, and cuddling," King Chuck smiled, "I'm a regular Hefner."

"Who said you won't see them again?" TD asked with a smile, "You have me here with you, and unlike Trixie I can pull them over for much longer periods of time. On that note, Chuck I want to ask you something: since he's technically you, and he may go through the same problems in life that you went through here, want me to keep an eye on him? I can help out whenever he needs it."

"Someone's got to remind him it get's better. Sure, not as better as being king, but better." King Chuck nodded. "Speaking of better, I'm off to..." He corrected himself, he was going to say Chuck's, but it was no longer called that. "I'm off to Sterling's. I'm willing to bet at least two of my three kids are there."

"And I'll be joining you!" Queen Pinkie smiled.

"May I join you guys?" TD asked, "I don't have anything better to do tonight, unless you count hunting my children and their dates down. And I prefer to give my children their space."

"Absolutely, always room for one more!" Pinkie said.

"Except for that one time four years ago at that Hearths' Warming party where we exceeded max capacity;there was NO room for one more. Great for business though," Chuck remarked as they walked.

"Another reason why you should call me for such big parties," TD stated, "Or let me do that whole 'bigger on the inside' trick and make it permanent this time?"

"That spell's all well and good, until you have to clean a football field sized floor," Chuck said as they walked through the door of the humble, dimly lit tavern.

"Eh, you got me there," TD stated. He then looked around the place and noticed something that bothered him.

"Seriously?!" he demanded, "That's like, what? The tenth time the karaoke machine got busted?! *sigh* Hang on a sec..."

TD snapped his fingers- or pretended to- and the karaoke machine fixed itself, records and all. He then made a sign appear on it that said, _**Please do not break! TD.  
**_

"Sterling, what happened?" Chuck asked.

"It wasn't me dad! See, Scootaloo was in here not too long ago with her friends and-" Sterling began to ramble.

"Well, I know who to bill. That's what counts." Chuck mumbled.

"Hey, I fixed it free of charge," TD noted, "So nobody has to pay for anything."

Suddenly, his form changed into his pony form and his horn glowed wildly for a few seconds before shutting down again. TD simply chuckled.

"Zachary Chaotix Sparkle's presence is confirmed," he said with a laugh.

"His middle name is Chaotix?" Chuck asked, "Fitting."

"You haven't noticed?" TD asked in disbelief. "I've said it before, when he and Sugar Plum first met about... eighteen years ago. Did you not listen, or were you already going Papa Bear towards him concerning your daughter?"

"I resent that remark, and if you don't recall, I had a lot on my mind that night." He stated. "My usual son, and it had better taste exactly like how I'd make it." He chuckled.

Eh, you got me there," TD replied. "The financials and all. That was a rough time for you, wasn't it?" He then looked to Sterling. "The usual, please."

"You say that like things got better the moment after." Chuck laughed. Sterling gave them their drinks.

"Enjoy." He said. "Ma? What can I get you?"

"Nothing for me! Thanks Sweetie!" She tussled his mane, much to his embarrassment.

"I'd like to think they did," TD stated, "Not much happened during that time that had to do with danger in Equestria, and you eventually came through okay. I don't see what you were complaining about."

A crash sounded from the other side of the room, which made TD laugh and roll his eyes.

"Screwball, don't use THAT party cannon," he suggested, "It's still a work in progress."

"Sorry!" Screwball called back.

"Sterling, when I gave you the place, what was the first thing I told you?" Chuck asked.

"Don't let any form of new party cannon be tested in the tavern," Sterling recited.

"Ding! Give the boy a prize!" TD shouted, then added, "But don't blame him. Screwball probably summoned it in here, if I know her."

"It's just a general rule," Chuck said. "It's not that hard to follow."

"Oh relax!" TD said with a chuckle, "In all honesty, I'm surprised that you aren't more concerned on who your daughter's dating. Seriously, it's almost as bad as Discord was when he learned about Tracker and Screwball."

"I've decided not to let it bothe- concern me," He said, "I kid, it never bothered me."

TD smiled. "Good, because if I know anything about my author, he's definitely gonna pull out the wedding bells soon."

TD floated in the air for a bit, his horn glowing softly like a flame in the light of the tavern.

"Let's not move things too fast now." Chuck mumbled.

"Aww, I love weddings!" Pinkie said.

"No promises, Chuck," TD said with a chuckle. "Besides, I don't believe Zach's proposed yet, so you've got time. Even if he proposed, you'd still have time, as I wouldn't be the one setting up for the wedding."

"Considering it's a royal affair as she's the king and queen's eldest daughter, the taxpayers would be paying for it, so that's a relief!" Chuck laughed.

"When do you think he'll ask?" TD asked, "Or will she ask him? That almost happened with me and Twi."

"No telling." Chuck shrugged. "But I did raise Sugar Plum to take charge in case he doesn't have the ba-" Pinkie then shot him a look. "The guts." He finished his sentence.

"Thanks Pinkie, but it wasn't necessary," TD replied, "He still has that censoring spell I put on him. But I'm glad you did that. He seems hesitant to make a move. Probably because he doesn't want to give the wrong impression. Guess he inherited that from me, because I was like that once with Twilight."

"I doubt other me has that spell." Chuck muttered.

"Maybe you could talk to him about it?" Pinkie suggested.

"Well, I don't have as much power there," TD explained, "I mean, I have my chaos, but I don't have as much power in regards to who's the author of his story. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," Chuck mumbled.

"I'll take that as a no," TD stated, "I don't understand much either. But I will suggest it if it'll make you feel better. Don't expect a miracle though. After all.." TD put on his best Pinkie Pie impression. "Pobody's nerfect!"

"That is kind of funny," He admitted.

"You can thank alternate Pinkie for that one," TD chuckled. He then looked over across the tavern where Zach and Sugar Plum were having a conversation. A wicked grin appeared on his face.

"And you may or may not thank me for this," he said, before suddenly teleporting over near the karaoke machine and inserting a coin. Soon after, slow music began to play, startling the two ponies in question when they realized what was happening.

Chuck rolled his eyes, in a joking way. "Why did I know that was going to happen?"

"Because sometimes I'm an open book, Chuck," TD replied with another cheeky smile.

"Dad," Zach groaned, then looked to Sugar Plum, "For the record, I had nothing to do with this."

"I know." She said, a slight smile on her face despite her flat tone.

"Well, are you gonna ask her for a dance, or should I hypnotize the two of you so that you'll-" TD began.

"NO!" Zach shouted, then softer, "T-that won't be necessary."

"Hypnotism does not equal consent," Chuck said dryly.

"Dad," Sugar Plum said sternly.

"Exactly!" TD called out from the ceiling cheerfully. Zach just sighed then looked to Sugar Plum.

"Let's just do it before he actually tries it," he suggested, "The last thing I want is for you to be a mindless slave forced to obey his every command."

"I would say it's the last thing we all want," Sugar Plum nodded.

Zach chuckled nervously, then said as formerly as he could, "May I have this next dance, my lady?"

TD chuckled from above, but Zach ignored him.

"You may," Sugar Plum nodded.

"Hooves where I can see them at all times," Chuck addressed Zach.

"Dad," Sugar Plum growled.

"I seriously doubt he'll try anything," TD stated, suddenly appearing next to the Changeling king as he watched them dance. "And in case you wonder why I did this... Sometimes all it takes is a push in the direction. By the way, why are you like that to him? I mean, both are well beyond the age of a child. Let them have their fun."

"Right of passage," He explained. "You think Pinkie's pops was easy on me?"

"Hornet and Igneous, I could understand," TD replied, "Or at least the one. After all, he was a bit... dull sounding and rather strict when you got on his bad side. I blame the rock farm."

"Regardless." Chuck said, "Zach should consider himself lucky that I'm easy to impress."

TD laughed, then looked back at the couple. Though he still was smiling, a tear fell from his eyes and rolled off his cheek to the floor.

"My little boy is all grown up," he said with a bit of sadness and happiness combined, "It seems like only yesterday that he was still a little baby. Time flies by too fast."

Pinkie was bawling, Chuck kept it together.

"It seems like just yesterday when she came into our lives!" Pinkie sniffed as she sobbed.

TD chuckled a bit, then sighed again.

"But you know, I am proud of my son. And I'm willing to bet that this is just the beginning of a bright future ahead of us all."

"Here's hoping." Chuck nodded approvingly, sipping his drink.

TD smiled again as he watched the cute couple dance, saying the same thing to himself in his mind.

 _Here's to hoping._

* * *

 **And, that's a keeper! Thank you _Impressionsguy_!**

 **Hope y'all enjoy!**


	35. Next-Gen Party and Zach's Confessions

**What can I say? I like collabs, and it looks like** _Impressionsguy_ **may be my most frequently worked with author. Sue me. XD**

 **This chapter is centered more on the younger generation, aka children, of the gang so far. And Zach finally brings up a topic that's long overdue.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Zach relaxed on a cloud just above Ponyville as he stared off at the horizon. A lot was on his mind today; some of his thoughts were pleasant, others were more concerned. And it was no wonder. For he felt that the most important decision of his life was about to be made...

"Excuse me, Zach," a voice said from behind him. Turning, he saw a Changeling looking at him. "May I ask you to move please? We have to get rid of this cloud. It's blocking some of the sunlight shining on the nursery."

For Zach happened to be near the Changeling hive of Chuck and Pinkie Pie. And currently, a lot of drones were seen going about their duties. If Chuck and Pinkie were around, Zach couldn't see them yet.

"Oh, sorry!" Zach apologized, as he flapped his wings and floated a few feet above the cloud. The Changeling nodded, then with a single strike of its hoof, the cloud disappeared. Across the way, the three Pie siblings were hanging out. As foals they were always together, a quality that didn't change as they grew. "Pies from the womb to the tomb," is how Sterling, the technical middle child, described the bond. Zach noticed them and called down from his perch.

"Hey you guys!" he called.

"Hey, what's up?" Sweet Tooth asked. She was a Changeling from birth, like her mother.

"Up until now, I was thinking about some things," Zach said, not wanting to get into any specific details yet.

"Sometimes I think about things too!" Sterling announced.

"We put a mark on the calendar when he does. His last thought was last Wednesday," Sugar Plum explained.

"I'm down to two thoughts a month! And this time, I'll keep it off!" He said happily.

"That's cool," Zach stated. Just then, something hit his nose and he looked up, then flew out of the way of the barrage of objects that followed. They so happened to be coins.

"Hey, heads up down there!" he called.

"Money!" Sweet Tooth exclaimed, quickly shoving coins into her purse.

"Guess Dad's reenacting Toy Story again," Zach muttered before flying down to the ground so he could be at the level of the Pies. His purple draconic eyes gave a questioning expression. "So, what are you three up to today?"

"Just hanging out before my shift at MY bar starts," Sterling said, emphasizing it was his bar.

"We get it, Sterling. You don't have to rub it in," Sweet Tooth said.

"I can always make you go permanently out of business," Zach stated with a smirk, "But lucky for you, I'm not that cruel."

"Please don't. I don't need my dad to be reminded he can do nothing about your family's threats to the well being of the business he poured his heart into again," Sugar Plum said.

"Like I said, I'm not that cruel," Zach replied, "And relax! I love the tavern. Why would I want it destroyed? After all, that's the place I first met you at. I doubt that I'd have ever met you if that place wasn't still running."

"And I never would have been able to start my gumball ball," Sterling said.

"How many is it on now?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"Four hundred fifty seven," Sterling said.

Zach looked at Sterling for a few seconds, then shook his head vigorously a few times.

"I'm not even gonna bother to ask," he said with a hint of disgust.

"It's actually kind of impressive, in a weird way," Sugar Plum said.

"More colors that Aunt Rainbow Dash's tail," Sweet Tooth put in.

"More flavor too," Sterling added.

"If you have Chaos magic that allows you to get away with what it tastes like, maybe," Zach stated. "I doubt it would taste too good."

"You don't need chaos magic, just a pair of scissors and enough curiosity," Sterling boasted.

"And a good hiding spot when she sees a chunk of her tail missing; you did not pick the right one," Sweet Tooth remarked.

"How was I to know she'd check under Dad's office desk?" Sterling asked.

This made Zach laugh. "I wish I could've seen that. Wait...maybe I can. Wait one second..."

Zach disappeared in a cloud of feathers, then reappeared almost instantly, laughing harder.

"That. Was. Priceless!" He chuckled.

"My dad said where he came from there used to be a thing called 'home movies,' that probably would have been a good one," Sugar Plum said.

"Oh they are," Zach answered. "Dad showed me a couple himself. They're really nice. Maybe I can show you guys a few sometime."

"No, I meant, that experience would have made for a good home movie." Sugar Plum explained.

"Oh...I agree," Zach corrected himself.

Just then, they heard piano music playing nearby. Zach gave a small chuckle.

"Guess Dad's at it again," he said as he looked towards where TD was standing nearby. He was on top of a hill of some kind that he obviously summoned with his magic. His image was a pig man of some kind with a helmet and white shirt.

"Dad says that they haven't been able to make a topographically accurate map of Equestria in years since he does stuff like that," Sweet Tooth mentioned.

"What's he doing?" Sugar Plum asked.

"Watch," Zach said, as TD began his scene:

[Totally not a GMod scene recorded by a YouTuber]

"Dear heavenly Father, please...please answer my prayers and bring me a second oven mitt. Every time I make a pizza, I end up burning my left hand-"

Suddenly, an explosion occurred underneath his feet and flung him in the air, followed by a loud voice that said, "REJECTED!"

TD fell to the ground, then suddenly appeared back in his original position, repeating the plea but to someone else.

"Dear Santa Claus, this year for Christmas, I really hope that you bring me a second oven mitt-"

*Boom!* "I DON'T THINK SO!"

"Dear Easter Bunny-"

"DENIED!"

"Dear mom and dad-"

"DENIED!"

"Dradle dradle, this year for Hanukkah-"

"DENIED!"

"Juanga?"

"DENIED!"

"Coming back down," TD called, as his limp pig-like body fell to the floor in front of them and the hill disappeared.

[End scene]

"That's Dad for you," Zach stated.

"Yep, and I doubt that'll ever change," TD replied as his image changed back into his normal human form and he stood to his feet. "I'm not interrupting you guys, am I?"

"Kind of, but Zach wasn't all that interested in my gumball ball anyway," Sterling said.

"We moved on from that," Sweet Tooth told him.

"Really? I must have spaced out," He remarked.

"Gumball ball?" TD asked. He then added, "Well, I guess it makes more sense than a ball made up of a thousand people scrunched together."

"It's just like that, but with gumballs," Sterling said, "My dad says it's good, but it will never beat the biggest ball of twine. I guess that was a thing where he came from."

"Because some people are weirder than I am," TD remarked. "Well, don't let me crash your party. I'll leave you be then."

TD pulled out a tiny propeller and held onto it as it carried him away from the group. Zach watched him leave, then chuckled again.

"So, what do we do now?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"Um... nothin!" Sterling suggested.

"You are a genius!" Sweet Tooth remarked.

"I'm willing to bet that's a Veggie Tales reference," Zach muttered, then louder, "Actually, Screwy and Tracker are planning a 'next gen only' night and she invited us all, and then some. Wanna come?"

"I like the sound of that." Sugar Plum said.

"It sure beats not doing anything, kinda." Sterling said.

"I'm down." Sweet Tooth nodded.

"Great!" Zach said, "I'll see you there then. But just a heads up warning..." He leaned closer and whispered, "She may try to play matchmaker with you."

"Happily taken, thank you." Sterling said with closed eyes.

"Who?" His sisters asked in disbelief.

"Well, not yet, but there's this one mare I bumped into at the Brown Brick Java Hut. I asked for her name, she left without saying anything. I think we're headed somewhere," He explained.

"He means 'not taken' then," Sweet Tooth said.

"That explains it," Zach giggled, "See you there! Oh, but one more warning. Dad kinda put the castle on lockdown after an experiment gone wrong. So, avoid that place for now."

"Dang, that's where I was JUST headed!" Sweet Tooth said, a ring of sarcasm in her voice.

"You sound like dad," Sugar Plum remarked.

Zach shook his head in amusement. "Goodbye, you three."

He disappeared in a cloud of feathers, leaving the Pies to talk among themselves.

"Shouldn't he be bald by now?" a nearby Changeling asked. "That's a lot of feathers."

"More feathers flying than a stick of dynamite going off in a hen house!" Another Changeling said.

"Someone sounds like they hang around Aunt Applejack too much," Sweet Tooth remarked.

* * *

"Welcome to your worst nightmare!" a playful Tracker greeted in a spooky voice at the front door of the Castle of Chaos, aka Screwball's house. He was in his vampiric form and was hanging upside down above the doorway.

"No one told me this was a Nightmare Night thing," Sterling remarked.

"I wasn't banking on a Nightmare Night thing in May," Sweet Tooth added.

"It's not," Tracker said reassuringly, "I just wanted to mess with you." He dropped down from the ceiling and looked up at them. Due to the age he had been when he was turned into a vampire, he looked much younger than the Pies, but his eyes said otherwise if you looked hard enough.

"Come on in!" he said more joyously, "The party's just getting started!"

"Thanks," Sugar Plum said. "So why a Next-Generation get together?"

"Screwy, much like your mother, is always looking for something to celebrate," Tracker said, "She decided to do this in celebration of our generation, as well as a kind of reunion party, in case we don't get to see each other as often in the future. After all, we are all grown up... Well, most of us."

"Mom says grown up is an exterior thing, it never has to be an interior thing!" Sterling said.

"And he took that WAY too seriously," Sweet Tooth mumbled.

Tracker chuckled, then ushered them inside. The inside room was unrealistically huge, but it wasn't too surprising considering that it was where Discord lived as well. There were plenty of games, food tables, drinks, and more. In the center of the room was a large dance floor. It was stunning.

"Maybe a bit overkill," a female voice said nearby, "but it's great for a party."

The figure in question stepped forward, revealing a pink female alicorn. Flurry Heart gave a warm smile and added, "It sure beats the palace in the Crystal Empire."

"Whoa, royalty! Should we be bowing?" Sterling asked.

"Mom and Dad are royalty, do we bow whenever we see them?" Sweet Tooth asked sharply.

"Dad told me to do that, did he not tell you guys?" Sterling said.

Flurry giggled. "There's no need for the formalities, my friends. I'd actually prefer that you didn't bow. It makes me forget about being a Princess and the stress that comes with it."

"A penthouse suite sized bedroom in a palace made of crystal sounds real stressful." Sweet Tooth said flatly.

"Don't be rude." Sugar Plum scolded.

Flurry Heart chuckled. "It's not as great as it sounds. It gets boring after a while."

"Now you guys know why Diana and I don't like being treated like royalty," another voice replied. Soon after, Zach flew down form the ceiling above to join in.

"Hey everyone," he said, "Glad you could make it."

"We almost couldn't. Sterling took forever deciding what tie to wear," Sweet Tooth said. What was ironic was that Sterling wasn't even wearing a tie.

"I then remembered I don't own any ties and I just wasted our time!" He laughed.

"How can someone forget that they don't own a tie?" Flurry asked.

"Knowing the Pies Cousin Flurry, that's probably a pointless question to ask," Zach answered.

"Well, here's the thing, I thought I owned a tie because I remembered wearing one. Then I remembered that was a dream I had where I became the world renowned inventor of the licorice tie," Sterling explained.

"Maybe you could work with Daddy!" Screwball called from across the room, "Your dreams alone sound chaotic enough for him to give you a good place to work with!"

"Hmmm, I see the licorice tie more as a pipe dream to get at later on. My current work is pretty stable," Sterling said. "But I'd be happy to have a business partner, like Simon and Garfield."

"I don't think you got that right," Sweet Tooth said.

"Dad definitely said Simon and Garfield," Sterling shook his head.

Zach just shook his head in amusement, then added, "Well, all that aside, who's ready for a good night of fun?"

"I'll take you on at Twister!" Screwball challenged.

"Ha! In your sleep!" Zach retaliated.

"Twister? As I always say: "Bippity Boppity Bring it on!" Sweet Tooth exclaimed.

"You never say that," Sugar Plum said.

"I always say, that starting now," she replied.

And with that, the party started getting into full swing. Turned out, even with Sweet Tooth's Changeling powers or Zach's own Chaos, Screwball was the undefeated champion at Twister. However, on the dance floor, surprisingly, Flurry proved to be the best of the group.

"I took lessons outside of the Crystal Empire now and then," she explained, "I almost thought that I'd get my Cutie Mark from it once."

"I once got dance lessons from Dad. I thought they were dance lessons, but turns out a bug flew in his ear and he was trying to get it out," Sterling explained, "Probably why he kept screaming."

"I learned three new cuss words that day, and two of them were the really good ones," Sweet Tooth added.

"The more you know," Flurry muttered. Just then, something flew past them at a wicked fast pace and perched on top of one of the loud speakers in the room. It so happened to be Tracker.

"Alright everypony, listen up!" Tracker called from his perch, "It's time for a bit of a slow dance. Grab yourself a partner and sway in time with the music. Or whatever you guys do; in all honesty, this is my first time saying something like this, but Screwy insisted."

"Don't be shy!" Screwball added, teleporting next to him in a cloud of confetti, "I see plenty of young couples out there, some of which have been around since kindergarten. No excuses this time, boys!"

"Should've seen that coming," a nearby unicorn colt said with a chuckle. He was about seventeen years old.

"Partners dance? Aww, nopony told me, I could have brought the gumball ball!" Sterling whined.

"I told dad to throw that thing out," Sweet Tooth whispered to her sister. "His obsession is becoming creepy."

"Not that kind of partner, Sterling," Flurry giggled. "They mean with actual ponies. Or Changelings for some of you."

As if on cue, somepony tapped Flurry on the shoulder and she turned to the pony in question. It happened to be Pound Cake, the pegasus son of Mr and Mrs. Cake.

"Excuse me, but may I have this next dance?" the pegasus asked. Flurry smiled and took his hoof.

"You most certainly may."

Zach watched as the two of them walked out to join some of the couples who were already out on the dance floor.

"I knew those two were a thing," he said aloud.

Sterling gulped and stammered, approaching the pale yellow earth pony, Applebloom.

"Um, hey, Ms... Um... Bloom, I was wondering, if... maybe I could kind of..." He stammered.

"Sure," she said dimply with a smile.

"Huh, who knew?" Zach stated aloud as the two marched out onto the dance floor. He then looked around and noticed his sister off in a corner of the room. If she had a partner, he hadn't shown up yet. It didn't seem to be bothering her for the time being, thankfully, but in a sense Zach still felt sorry for his sister. Sweet Tooth sympathized with her too, for she didn't have a partner either. She walked over to have a chat with her, if anything, by exchanging notes. She smiled as if to say hello as she approached her. Diana didn't notice her at first until she was a few feet away. But considering that she was deaf, it wasn't too surprising.

"Oh, hello Sweet Tooth," Diana greeted the Changeling, "How are you?"

"Not bad," Sweet Tooth replied. She was using her Changeling magic to communicate telepathically. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine," Diana replied. She then giggled and said, "You don't have to communicate telepathically, you know. You're close enough for Zach's spell to pick you up."

"Thank Celestia, that spell always gives me a migraine." She said with a sigh of relief. "What's up?"

Diana looked out at the couples and smiled. "Guess you don't have a partner either, huh?"

"Nope. Even Sterling has one, and his best friend is a fifty pound ball of gum," She sighed.

"Well, I could probably understand myself, but you?" Diana looked to Sweet Tooth. "Changeling or not, you are beautiful. As my dad would probably put it, you're knockout-gorgeous. I'm surprised nopony's asked you out yet."

"Might be my abrasive personality. My dad says it's a good quality, but it seems to scare most colts and male Changelings off." She mumbled.

Diana gave a laugh. "Didn't seem to scare your friends off even as children," she replied, "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here." She sighed as she looked out at the dancing couples. "You know, as a filly, I think the closest I ever got to a coltfriend was Plank. I always looked up to him almost like my best friend, next to you guys of course. I mean, how could you not like him? He's the nicest Timberwolf around, one of a kind."

"Why don't you come to singles night at the bar? There's always eligible young stallions there." She suggested. Diana shook her head.

"As much as I like the tavern, that's not really my thing." She closed her eyes and seemed to be listening to something far away, a sweet tone that only she could hear, ironic though that seemed. "I'd take the outdoors any day. The cool summer breeze, the warmth of the sun on your skin, the softness of the grass..."

Diana sighed again as a smile crossed her face. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that she was very much like a nature-lover.

"You really like plants huh?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"Plants, animals, nature itself," Diana answered, "I've always seemed to be more at ease in the great outdoors. I don't believe I ever told you this before, but when I was only three years old, I remember sneaking out at night to sleep in the Everfree forest. Of course, I wasn't as sneaky as I thought. Mom and Dad figured it out quickly, but they never went after me. I soon figured out why when I met Plank for the first time." Diana opened her eyes to look into the Changeling's own eyes. "Even when I thought I was alone, he was always nearby, watching over me, protecting me... as if I was his own cub. I guess that explains why I have such an emotional attachment to him. He's the best friend I could've asked for..."

Diana trailed off as she said this and looked out a nearby window as she finished.

"It's nights like this when I miss him the most."

"Oh... I'm sorry." Sweet Tooth said apologetically.

"Sorry?" Diana looked at her in confusion. "What are you sorry for? You haven't done anything wrong."

"Yeah but I mean, it's gotta suck, the only death in my family I had to deal with is Grandpa Hornet, and I didn't even know he was my grandpa until he died," She explained.

"Wait..." Diana realized what was happening and broke into a laugh. "Plank's not dead, if that's what you're implying Sweet Tooth! He's alive and well, last I checked on him! Timberwolves can live forever if they choose."

"I was talking about your parents, your birth parents," She said bluntly.

"Oh..." Diana's smile fell for a moment. "I never knew my birth parents. They died when I was still an infant. From what I heard, they were killed by a group of creatures that leave no trace of their victims. Fog Lurkers, is what they were called. I was spared only due to my disability. They don't harm creatures who are deaf or blind." Diana's smile returned and she chuckled again. "You know, it wasn't very long at all before I learned the truth. But I didn't care when I did find out."

"That's a good thing I guess," She said.

"So, what do you suppose we do now?" Diana asked. "I mean, unless you want to help my brother win over your sister, I've got nothing. Also, last I checked, interfering with those kind of things is usually not a smart idea."

"I don't think much help is needed. All he really needs do is ask, she'll say yes," Sweet Tooth said.

"That's the problem though," Diana noted, "He's scared. You must understand, he's the son of a being who tried to conquer all of Equestria and beyond. A being who would've succeeded too, if Mom hadn't changed his heart. As such, Zach's scared of what he might do to her. He doesn't want to give the wrong impression either." Diana looked towards her brother, who was staring in Sugar Plum's direction. "You probably don't remember, for you and Sterling were still foals at the time... but Zach sometimes feels like he has a great burden to bear: making amends for Dad's past mistakes. THAT is why he's afraid."

"Like how I had to apologize to all the colts and fillies on the playground when Dad passed out there after binge drinking that one time?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"Something like that," Diana nodded. "Only, with a higher bar set in place."

"Well, regardless, I doubt Sugar Plum really cares about all of that," Sweet Tooth shrugged.

Diana giggled. "That's what he can't seem to get into that skull of his."

Diana then stood up and looked to Sweet Tooth.

"Well, I guess I'm off," she said, then gave a wink, "If Screwball asks, tell her I found somepony to be my partner."

"Oh, well, okay. See ya!" Sweet Tooth waved.

Diana waved back, then phased through the walls nearby as if she was a ghost.

Seriously, you'd almost think she WAS a ghost. Right Sweet Tooth? Or, can you not hear me like TD and your mother can?

"AAAUGH! Who said that!?" Sterling cried out, earning a look from his dance partner.

"Sorry Sterling!" a booming voice said out of nowhere that everyone could hear, "Should've figured. Apologies everypony. Go back to your lovely evening. Forget I was ever here."

"Kinda hard to do that in my case," Zach muttered.

Not cool, Zachary.

"I don't know, it was kind of cool," Sterling shrugged.

Zach just chuckled, then lost his smile for a moment. He trotted outside the doors, but not to leave. However, it caught the attention of a few individuals who knew what his problem was.

"Go to him," Tracker said to Sugar Plum, suddenly appearing by her side. He had come over to her so silently, she hadn't noticed him at first.

"Agh!" She remarked in surprise. "Oh, yeah, I will."

Tracker smiled as he watched her leave in the direction of the chaotic pegasus, then returned to Screwball's side.

"Do you think it'll work out?" he asked her.

"It better," Screwball said playfully, "Otherwise I bet my soul for nothing."

"You...huh?"

"Just kidding! Now, let's go! Somepony owes me a dance..."

* * *

"Uh, hey." Sugar Plum said as she approached him.

"Oh, hey Sugar Plum," Zach said, a small smile forming on his face upon noticing her. "What brings you out here?"

"My legs, I guess," She said. "You?"

Zach laughed, then sighed. "I was thinking. I've... had a lot on my mind."

He seemed sad, maybe slightly fearful too.

"Like what?" She asked.

"Like..." Zach paused hesitantly. How was he supposed to tell her? "Like... us..."

"Oh?" She asked.

"Yes, but... that's what scares me." Zach looked Sugar Plum in the eyes, giving her his full attention. In the night air, his draconic eyes glowed brightly, giving off his caring expression in them.

"Sugar Plum... what am I to you?" He asked. "Like, what's my worth to you..?"

"I mean, I've known you for almost twenty years, so you're like my closest friend ever. But I mean... wait, what am I to you?" She asked.

Zach sighed. "A treasure beyond compare, one which I could only dream to be a reality..."

He looked down at the ground, and a tear ran down his cheek.

"One that I could never claim as my own... because of what I am..."

"What do you mean?" She asked slowly. "Never claim?"

"I... am... a monster," Zach said tearfully, "The power I possess... it's meant to destroy. Much like my father, I could destroy this entire world in the blink of an eye... and nothing could stop me. I may be caring and gentle by nature, but I also have a darker side to me too, one that you've seen before. It surprises me sometimes that none of you have run away in fear of me... knowing what I'm capable of..." Zach closed his eyes and turned his head away slightly. "That's why I could never hope... to be with anyone... like you..."

"You aren't a monster..." She said sympathetically.

"How can you know that?" Zach asked her. "How come you haven't feared me yet? My powers-"

"Who cares about powers? Just because you can do something doesn't mean you will. Technically I can set fire to the Everfree Forest. Doesn't mean I will," She said.

"But it's different for me," he countered, "I have to bear the burden of keeping true to my father's reputation. Do you know how hard it is to try and prove that you're not like your father was before?"

Sugar Plum thought back to one time twelve years earlier, when her dad, Chuck, stumbled in drunkenly to "career day" at school.

"I know the feeling," She mumbled.

Zach was silent. He didn't know how to reply to that. He didn't realize how much in common she shared such a task.

"I- I never realized-" He sighed, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh well, I love my dad. I really do!" She stammered quickly. "He's a really great guy, he just does really stupid things sometimes. To be fair, he didn't know it was career day until that morning. If he had known, he wouldn't have been... y'know."

Zach nodded, then looked out at the night sky.

"I guess I could say the same about my dad," he said, "It's true he made mistakes in the past, and he still does make mistakes, but at least he is sorry for them. I once heard him tell Mom that if it was possible, he'd take it all back just for her..."

"I know my dad feels sorry; it actually makes me feel sad. He dwells on his mistakes. It took him until I was ten before he considered himself to be a good parent," She said.

"Yikes," Zach muttered. "I don't think my dad's truly gotten over his past deeds. I just hope that... I can be strong enough to not make the same choices."

"Sometimes, all you can do is hope," Sugar Plum said.

"Yeah..." Zach looked to her, then looked away again. A cricket was heard chirping nearby, but as soon as it did, Zach smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, magic reaction," he said, "I'm feeling a little awkward right now."

He spread his wings and they glowed, a few seconds later the cricket chirps stopped.

"Why?" She asked. "Why are you feeling awkward?"

"Because I... want to ask you something, and... I don't know how you'll take it," Zach explained.

I think I know what it is...

"Author, for once, just stop," Zach said, while looking at the screen you guys are reading.

Alright, fine! But I'll be watching you...

"You'll never know what I'll say until you tell me," Sugar Plum said.

"True," Zach said, and took a deep breath.

Here goes nothing, he thought to himself.

"Sugar Plum, in the twenty or so years I've known you, you have remained my closest of friends. The night I first met you as a colt..." He blushed a bit, "I thought you were the prettiest filly I had ever met. And considering how many I had seen before at the orphanage or in the neighborhood, that's saying a lot."

"Well, thank you Zach," She smiled.

"There's more to it than that," he said, "When I learned about your fear of being sold or given up because you were adopted, I... felt obligated to essentially... care for your welfare. I guess it's part of my nature as the gentler side of Chaos. But... eventually..."

Zach blushed a bit, the red in his face contrasting with the blue and green stripes in his coat.

"...I felt more than just an obligation to protect you. It was... something more. I tried to shrug it off, thought it wasn't possible. But... well, you know what eventually happened: I realized the truth. And that's something I wanted to ask you."

Zach looked her in the eyes again, his own glowing eyes asking the question he was thinking before it was voiced: "Do you love me?"

"Y-y-yes," She blushed softly. "I do."

"How long?" he asked gently.

"The night Grandpa Hornet died is when I knew. His death was unrelated to that. Obviously."

"I thought so," Zach chuckled, then sighed. "For me... I believe it was the night I gave you that first dance, high above the heads of your parents." He blushed himself. "Kinda ridiculous, at that age. I guess that's one flaw about having a power that makes you more mature mentally than you are physically."

"Tell me about it..." Sugar Plum chuckled a little. "So... does that make us..?"

"Together?" He asked.

"I'd say it does," She nodded.

Zach smiled. "I... guess this has been long overdue... but..."

He stopped, as if stumbling over his words.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Will you be... my special somepony?"

Zach felt as if a looming pressure had been removed and another presence had replaced it, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, absolutely yes," She smiled warmly.

Zach smiled as well.

"So, what now? Do we hug? Kiss? I'm kinda new to this..."

Without answering, Sugar Plum kissed him on the cheek and giggled.

Zach was surprised for a second, then smiled again.

"Guess that answers my question," he said aloud. He looked back inside the castle behind him, then to Sugar Plum.

"It looks like they've still got time before they close up the party, so... may I have this next dance?"

"Yes, you may." She smiled.

Taking her hoof in his own, Zach and Sugar Plum both walked back into the castle to join the other couples, unaware that they had been watched from a distance.

"About time you came clean, brother," Diana said with a chuckle from behind a tree. "I'd say that confession was over ten years overdue. But nevertheless, I wish only the best for you both."

As soon as she finished saying that however, she felt somewhat sad. She didn't have anypony to share such feelings with herself... or at least none that she could recollect. And the same went with Sweet Tooth. Would she ever find a special somepony? Diana sighed. Only time would tell... however long it would take.

* * *

"Look who grew the guts," Sweet Tooth chuckled upon seeing them.

"I know, right?" Screwball joined in with her, Tracker beside her. "I mean, no offense, but it was pretty obvious that he liked her from the start. I'm just glad that he decided to finally talk about it."

"So, when do you ladies predict the wedding to come around?" Tracker asked.

"I give them a few more months," Screwball bet, "What about you Sweet Tooth?"

"Till the wedding? It took mom and dad a year of dating before they got married, but who knows with these crazy kids," Sterling remarked.

"We wasn't talking to you," Tracker said in an impressive Gollum voice.

"Tracky, don't be rude," Screwball warned.

"Sterling's got a point. If Sugar Plum is anything like mom and dad, it might take a while," Sweet Tooth said.

"True, and Aunt Twilight didn't marry Uncle for almost just as long as well," Screwball noted, "But hey! Times change. You never know how things might turn up for us."

"That, and a huge chunk of marriages end in-" Sterling was cut off by Sweet Tooth shoving a muffin in his mouth.

"Death usually," She said. Screwball laughed, then noticed that most of the ponies present seemed to be either passed out or leaving. A megaphone appeared in her front hoof and she spoke into it.

"Thank you everypony for coming! I hope you had a wonderful evening. Good night, and go find a private spot to be with your partner if you're that desperate!" She then made the megaphone disappear. "All that's left now is cleanup duty. And that's easily taken care of here."

"With magic right? I'm not all that hard a worker," Sterling said.

"It's true; once he went seventy two hours without moving," Sweet Tooth said.

"Even without magic, I wouldn't ask you to help me," Screwball said. Suddenly, in a flash of light, several clones of Screwball with hard hats appeared.

"Okay girls!" the original Screwball ordered, "I want this place cleaned from top to bottom before Mommy and Daddy get home! That means not even a single strand of confetti on the floors! Now, move!"

The clones took off in different directions, causing a large cloud of dust to appear in the room. Nobody could see what was happening, but the sound of hammers, drills, and other tools were heard several times through the cloud. When the dust cleared, the clones had disappeared, but so had any trace of the previous party. Zach, who was standing roughly in the center of the room with Sugar Plum, chuckled.

"I'm a being of Chaos myself, yet I have no idea what just happened," he answered honestly.

"I had a bean of chaos once. That was a terrible experience," Sterling remarked.

"He said _being_ , Sterling," Sweet Tooth said flatly.

Ignore him children, for he knows not what he says.

"Are you bored Author?" Zach asked.

No. Why?

"Because barging in out of the blue for no reason equals 'bored' for a lot of ponies here."

"Or suspicious. One time, dad was suspicious of, like, everyone in our family and he kept kicking in doors whenever he would enter a room. He thought we were all taking money from the bar, but turns out it was him offering discounts," Sweet Tooth said.

Chuck can be pretty paranoid at times-

"Okay, we get it," Zach interrupted, "Besides, you should be careful. Remember, Sterling can hear you too, and Aunt Pinkie Pie."

Right. Forgot about that. Well, then I guess...bye? Question mark?

"The guy gets so paranoid!" Sterling laughed. "Once I told him his mother was here in Equestria and he hid us all in the storm cellar for a week!"

"Seriously?" Tracker looked at Sterling. "Wow. And I thought growing up on a rock farm was bad, No offense."

"Mommy issues." Sugar Plum said. "We've met grandpa on his side, but nobody else that I can remember. He's told us about them though."

"He tells those stories on two occasions: Nightmare Night at spooky story sharing, or after he spends more than an hour in his lounge." Sweet Tooth said.

"By then, all the bourbon makes him a really sad open book," Sugar Plum said.

"I hear you on that," Zach said. A watch suddenly appeared on his foreleg and he looked to Sugar Plum.

"That's Dad telling me that I don't have much longer."

"Wanna walk me home first?" Sugar Plum asked.

Zach smiled as he took her hoof. "It would be my pleasure. And this time, we're taking the long way home."

"I'm guessing that means no teleportation, right?" Tracker inquired. Zach's answer was a nod.

"I remember the last time I took the long way home," Sterling said. "I ended up on the train to Manehattan."

"How'd you end up on a train to Manehattan?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"I was following somepony who kind of looked like dad, but then it turned out she was a mare," Sterling said.

"Dad does have a kind of feminine walk," Sugar Plum remarked.

Zach laughed. "Well, cya around Screwy! Thanks for the party."

"No problem, Zachy," she said with a smile. She gave him a hoofbump, then Zach looked back to Sugar Plum.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, don't wait up you two!" She said to her little siblings.

"C'mon sis, we'll have an afterparty in dad's lounge." Sterling said.

"We're stealing his cigars?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"No! But all the good jazz records are there," Sterling explained as they walked off.

Screwball and Tracker laughed as they watched them leave.

"He probably should've offered to fly her home," Tracker suggested.

"Who knows? It's quite a ways to Ponyville," Screwball stated. "She may ask him or he ask her."

"Maybe..." Tracker looked to Screwball as he suddenly realized something.

"Uh...we're alone now..."

"Oh..." Screwball looked around and blushed. "Guess they won't be the only ones having a night out."

"Fine by me," the vampire said, "So long as you don't ask to do more than five rounds of Twister."

Screwball giggled as they got out the Twister mat.

"It's a deal."

* * *

 **Yay! I love doing collabs!**

 **Big thanks to _Impressionsguy_ for the help in this one! You're a real help!**

 **Edit: I'm looking for some coverart for this story or any of my other stories. If you feel like you've got something, let me know through a PM along with a username to go to if possible. I prefer DeviantArt, but feel free to use any other means if you can't do that.**

 **Keep up the good work! I'll see you next time!**


	36. Thermidor

**Well, I started to think to myself about Diana's current situation, where she feels like she has no one to love like her friends do. So... this is my way of trying to fix that!**

 **Please enjoy my friends!**

* * *

"So let me run through this one more time so the readers aren't left in the dark," TD said to Twilight. She was packing up for a trip with Diana. Not just any trip, however; it was a trip to the kingdom of the Hippogriffons. The map had apparently called them both down there and TD was trying to sum things up to himself.

"You're saying that the map called you both over, but you're feeling like Diana has a different task from your own?" TD asked his wife.

"That pretty much sums it up," Twilight confirmed.

"How so?"

"Well, I can't help but feel that Diana is being called for more than solving a friendship problem," Twilight told him.

TD smirked. "What? Are you suggesting that the Tree of Harmony is playing matchmaker or something?"

"Matchmaker?" Twilight looked to him in confusion.

"Nevermind," TD shrugged it off. He then gave her a smile as he lowered himself to her level. "I'm gonna miss you while you're gone."

"As will I," she answered. She wrapped her hooves and wings around him as he brought her into a loving embrace. They then gave each other a kiss.

"I'm still trying to get used to that," a child's voice said nearby, causing them to turn to the voice. The figure was a grey pony with a black mane and tail.

"Get to it then Tracker," TD said to him teasingly, "Because it's not stopping anytime soon."

"I know that," Tracker smiled. He then looked to a nearby wall as Diana phased through it and into the room. She looked to the vampire with a smile.

"Good luck out there," Tracker said to her, then gave her a hug. Diana returned the hug with a nod. Because of the age he had been when bitten, Tracker was actually smaller than Diana and looked younger; still a child. But even so, Diana looked to him as if he was an older brother. Which he technically was, being over one hundred years old.

"Come on Diana," Twilight called, stomping her hoof just in case her daughter's spell didn't pick up her voice. Diana released her brother and gave him a final smile before walking over to Twilight and standing beside her.

"Goodbye you two!" TD called cheerfully. He then snapped his fingers and the two disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

Diana had seen many things that she considered to be very beautiful, but the underwater world of the Hippogriffons was a huge revelation for her. All around her, she saw beauty of all shapes and sizes. Coral reefs glistened in the sunlight above, colorful fish swam in schools past her face, and the vast expanse of the underwater territory was remarkable. It was truly breathtaking. However, she had little time to stay and admire such details for long before Twilight gestured her to follow. Twilight had undergone a transformation that had turned her into a merpony so she could survive underwater, losing her wings if not her size. Diana, on the other hand, had not undergone any such transformation, but instead had simply used a special spell TD had taught her to use. With such a spell, she could remain underwater in her pony form without drowning and still explore the beautiful depths of the ocean before her. Following Twilight, she soon found herself in the midst of a large city of some kind. All around her, hippogriffs could be seen going about their daily lives in a cheerful manner. Looking to them now, Diana almost found it quite similar to pony society... with the exception of both the environment and the lack of stairs in the buildings. Eventually, Twilight stopped at what seemed to be the center of the city and looked to her.

"Well, I guess I'm going to see who it is that needs help with a friendship problem," she said, "Do you want to come with me, or would you prefer to stay here? I mean, you're old enough to make your own decisions now, but I'm still curious as to what you want to do."

Diana looked around the place, then gave her mother a smile that indicated what her answer was.

"Alright then," Twilight replied, "I'll be back in about an hour." She gave Diana a quick hug. "I love you, Diana."

"I love you too, Mom," Diana said back, speaking for the first time that day. Twilight smiled again, then released her daughter and started off towards where the palace might be in the underwater kingdom. Meanwhile, Diana looked around her to see what was to be seen. As she looked about, she couldn't help but admire the pretty colors that could be found all around her. Diana took in a breath, then let out a content sigh as she continued to stare at her surroundings. It was truly breathtaking...

She was so busy taking in the sights around her that she didn't notice the hippogriff in front of her until she had bumped into him. Both fell backwards onto the ground- or they would have, if they weren't underwater- and then looked up at each other long enough to take each other in. Diana noticed that the figure she had run into was about her age, 21, and was blue in color. His mane, or what counted as a mane for the hippogriffs, was a light purple color, and his beak was a dark orange color. Diana couldn't see his eyes, for a pair of dark shades hid them from view and gave her no indication of their color. However, even without seeing his eyes, she couldn't deny that he looked handsome. Judging from his appearance and posture, he seemed to belong to one of the upper classes, possibly one of nobility.

"I'm so sorry!" he said to her, "Are you hurt?"

Diana gave him a friendly smile. "No, I'm fine. It was my fault. I should've paid more attention to where I was going."

The hippogriff smiled back, looking to her for a moment. Then he seemed to realize something and cleared his throat.

"How rude of me! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Thermidor, son of the Royal Advisor of the hippogriffons," he introduced himself.

"Pleased to meet you, Thermidor," Diana answered politely, "I'm Daina Berry Sparkle, daughter of Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria."

"Princess?" he asked. He then started to perform a kind of bow towards her, but she stopped him with a light tap of her hoof.

"There's no need for that," she said kindly, "I don't like to think of myself as a princess. I'm more comfortable just being me."

Thermidor seemed to relax at this and smiled once again. Diana chuckled, then looked to his eyes, feeling a little curious. Why did he wear those sunglasses? Did he have an injury occur in that general area that he wished to have hidden away due to scarring? Or did he possibly have a sensitivity to light and wore the shades to reduce the light that got into his eyes? If he noticed her confused look, he didn't say anything about it.

"So, are you enjoying our kingdom?" he asked.

"I am," Diana replied, giving a happy sigh, "It's really beautiful."

Thermidor chuckled. "It is quite beautiful. So many different sights, sounds, and feelings that take your breath away. You can't find anything like that outside of the ocean."

"Well, the sights and feelings at least," Diana noted, "I wouldn't notice any of the sounds."

Thermidor looked to her with confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked her. She looked to him and gave a small giggle.

"Most ponies or other creatures don't realize it, but I'm actually deaf," she said to him.

Seashell was still confused. "Then how are you speaking to me now so perfectly?"

"My brother cast a powerful spell on me as a foal," Diana explained, "It allowed me to understand what ponies said to me as long as I was looking towards them. I've improved it over the years, so now it can pick it up from over a short distance. I'm not technically hearing what you say, it's more like a kind of magic translator that relays the message to me telepathically."

"Wow," Thermidor was in awe, "That's marvelous. I must say, it's quite remarkable. Nopony would ever notice unless they knew the trick."

"Or unless they stood a certain distance away or if I'm not looking at them," Diana chuckled. Thermidor laughed with her, then asked, "Isn't it an inconvinience not being able to hear anything?"

"I don't mind it so much," Diana replied genuinely, "I was born deaf, so it's not something I miss. Although, I will admit that I'm sometimes curious of what sounds some creatures make."

"I take it that you're an animal lover?" Thermidor asked her.

Diana nodded and an excited look came over her. "Not just animals. I'm fascinated by all that nature has to offer. In my mind, there's no better feeling than the cool breeze in my mane, no sweeter smell than the fragrance of the flowers, and no greater beauty at night than the vast expanses of the sky."

Thermidor smiled. "My mother used to be like that in her youth. Always out in the forests of seaweed or simply gazing up at the night sky above." He sighed and his smile faded. "Nowadays, her health seems to falter by the minute. I often wonder if she will ever get better."

Diana's expression changed to one of sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly, "I once had to take care of my brother when he got sick, and at one point it got really bad. I was scared for him during that time and almost thought he'd never get better." She giggled at the thought. "Turns out, he just picked up a bad bug." Her tone turned back to one of sympathy. "With your permission, I could try to help your mother."

Thermidor almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You- you'd really do that?" he asked.

"I can certianly try," Diana replied.

Thermidor managed a thankful smile, then turned towards what counted as a street in the underwater kingdom. He swam down the "street" with Diana in pursuit, the mare mentally making a picture of their route in her mind so as to remember where to find him again. Eventually, they came to a particularly colorful house which was a bright pink on the outside. A short distance away from it, Diana could see a forest of seaweed and kelp with schools of fish swimming through the underwater forest. Thermidor led her inside and Diana momentarily found herself at a loss for words. The walls inside glittered and sparkled in the interior lightning provided, the lightning provided by some kind of lanterns. Several seashells and pearls were engrafted into the walls, and a statue of an older hippogriff was seen near the entrance, possibly Thermidor's father or grandfather. Beautiful was the only word Diana could think of to describe such a lovely place. But she had no time to admire such exotic details, as she was hurried over to a section of the house that appeared to be a kind of bedroom. Inside, lying on a bed of kelp, was an older, female hippogriff. She was a purple color with blue eyes, a blue mane, and the same color beak as Thermidor. She seemed rather pale and sickly, almost like someone on the brink of death. Seeing Thermidor, she gave a weak smile.

"My son," she said hoarsely, "It's good to see you again. But who's your friend?"

Thermidor stood aside enough for Diana to be seen more clearly.

"Mother," he replied, "this is Diana Berry, the daughter of Princess Twilight of Equestria."

Diana gave a wave of her hoof.

"Welcome, Diana" Thermidor's mother greeted, "I'm sorry that I can't greet you more properly in my current condition."

"It's quite alright, ma'am," Diana answered politely, "I actually came here in regards to your health. I'm very efficient in healing spells, and I believe I could help you with your ailing health."

Thermidor's mother seemed to perk up a little bit when she heard that.

"If you think you can help, then go right ahead little one," she said, "I would appreciate such kindness very much."

Diana smiled warmly as she swam up to the side of the bed. Closing her eyes, her horn started glowing and she gently lowered it down to the forehead of the elder hippogriff. A short blinding flash occurred, then Diana removed her horn and stepped back to see her handiwork. Thermidor's mother seemed to become less pale, and her sickly appearance slowly disappeared. A peaceful smile came over her as she closed her eyes. Soon, a few low snores could be heard from her. Diana giggled a bit at this, then quietly followed Thermidor out of the room to give his mother some much-needed rest. As soon as they were a decent distance away, Thermidor threw his claws around Diana and a few tears escaped him.

"Thank you," he said to her, "Thank you so much!"

Diana smiled and returned the hippogriff's hug, glad that she had been able to help out in the best way she could. After he released her, Diana noticed a clock nearby telling her that almost an hour had passed since Twilight's departure earlier that day.

"I have to go," she told him, "My mother will be waiting for me to return, and I don't want to keep her waiting."

"Of course," Thermidor answered, escorting her to the door, "Thanks again for your kindness, Miss Diana."

Diana smiled again. "I'm glad I was able to help."

She started to leave, but stopped when Thermidor asked, "Will I see you again?"

Diana turned back to him. "Sure! You can find me in Ponyville up in Equestria, and I might stop by for a visit from time to time."

Satisfied with this answer, Thermidor asked no more from her as Diana started off towards the place where she was to meet up with Twilight. She found her mom waiting patiently for her, and she seemed to be rather cheerful.

"There you are," Twilight said upon noticing Diana, "Where did you go?"

"I was helping a friend with his mother," Diana answered, "She was very sick, so I decided to heal her."

Twilight smiled. "I'm proud of you, Diana." She gave her daughter a queestioning look, "Would it happen to be Lord Thermidor's mother that you cured?"

Diana nodded.

"I was told by one of the servants around the palace that her health had been failing her for quite some time," Twilight explained, "I'm glad to see that you helped her out with that problem."

Diana smiled. She was glad she had been able to help too, but she was also a bit concerned about Thermidor's possible vision problems. She knew that it was probably best to speak about it in private, and only after she had gained his trust.

And that was assuming she'd see him again.

* * *

Thermidor had been on the land many times before, but it didn't make the experience any less exciting. He had decided to pay Diana a visit, and was currently trying to locate Ponyville. Unfortunately for him, that was easier said than done, for he had never been there before. As he trotted along a well-worn path, he happened upon a pegasus mare and a Changeling. The Changeling was different from the ones seen in Thorax's hive, for they still maintained the black unreformed look that Chrysalis's Changelings had possessed. However, this Changeling had a few other details that made him stand out. On his head, a yellow mane could be seen and his wings were the same color, and both were full of holes just like his legs. His eyes looked very much like pony eyes, but without the pupils, and they seemed to glow in whatever shadows or low lighting the Changeling happened to be in. The Changeling and pegasus were in the process of removing a small tree that had fallen across the path. When they noticed Thermidor, they stopped momentarily. Thermidor cleared his throat and addressed the two equine figures.

"Pardon me, but do you know the way to Ponyville?" he asked.

"Don't you have a map?" the mare asked.

"I do," Thermidor replied, "but I have an unfortunate problem with my vision currently and am unable to read it."

The Changeling and mare both smiled.

"Well you're in luck," the Changeling said, "We happen to hail from Ponyville ourselves. If you want to get there, just follow this road for another mile until you come to a fork in the road. Take the road to the right and follow it to its end. You'll find yourself in Ponyville in no time!"

Thermidor thanked them and started back down the path. As mentioned by the Changeling, the road indeed came to a fork. He took the road on the right and followed it along until the sounds of a busy town could be heard. Hoping that he was in the right place, Thermidor asked a nearby pony for confirmation.

"Excuse me, but this is Ponyville, correct?" he asked a green unicorn stallion.

"Indeed it is, friend," the unicorn replied cheerfully. Thermidor smiled, then asked, "Do you know where Miss Diana Sparkle's residence is?"

The unicorn smiled as well. "Castle of Friendship, just near the center of town. Can't miss it."

Thermidor bowed, then started off again through the town. He still had no idea how he'd find the Castle, not without some help. After all, his vision was not the best quality he possessed...

"Excuse me, sir," a colt's voice spoke next to him. Thermidor turned to the colt who had spoken; a grey Earth Pony with a black mane, green eyes, and a Cutie Mark that showed a picture of some hoofprints. He seemed to be around ten years old. The colt spoke again.

"I hear you're looking for Diana's place?" he asked. Thermidor nodded. "Well you're in luck. I happen to be her older brother and I can show you the way to the Castle if you need help. Name's Tracker."

Thermidor seemed confused. "Did I hear you right? Older brother?"

"Yeah. Why?" Tracker asked.

"Miss Diana is at least in her twenties, is she not?" Thermidor questioned.

Tracker chuckled. "I don't seem it, but I'm actually over one hundred." At Thermidor's bewildered expression, he added bluntly. "I forget you're not from here. I'm a vampire, so there's that."

Thermidor didn't know if he should feel scared or simply surprised. After a moment, he asked, "Then Diana is one too?"

Tracker laughed. "It's an adoptive relationship. I'm the only vampire in the family. Don't worry. I'm not gonna attack you; I'm friendly."

Thermidor nodded, then asked, "Could you please help me find her? I'm a bit lacking in eyesight currently due to a recent accident."

Tracker didn't buy this for a second, but decided not to pester about it.

"Right this way," he said, taking his hoof and leading him along. He eventually led the hippogriff to the front gates of the Castle of Friendship.

"I assume you can take it from here," the vampire said, "I'm sorry to leave on such short notice, but my marefriend is waiting on me. I promised her I'd take her on a date."

Tracker trotted off, leaving Thermidor at the front doors. Thermidor took in a deep breath, and then knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened and Twilight peered out at the hippogriff.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Are you Princess Twilight?" Thermidor asked.

"In the flesh," Twilight answered.

"I am Lord Thermidor of Seaquestria," he said, giving a polite bow.

"Lord Thermidor? Oh yes! You're the son of the Royal Advisor," Twilight recollected, "I heard about your mother. Glad to see that she's fully recovered now."

Thermidor smiled. "Well, I have your daughter to thank for that," he said, "Is she home by any chance?"

"Yes, she's home," Twilight nodded, "Come on in. I'll let her know that you're here."

Thermidor gave a short nod and followed Twilight inside. She led him to a large lounge room of some kind, where Diana was seen reading a book. Except that she was also levitating several objects in the room at once. One by one, she had them fly through the air and phase through her body like it was thin air. Twilight stomped her hoof a few times to get her attention, and the objects stopped in midair as Diana turned to face Twilight. She actually ended up having one of the objects, a vase, stop halfway through her head, which made her look a little silly.

"Diana," Twilight said to her, "You have a visitor."

Diana nodded and levitated the objects back to their spots, including the vase in her head, then closed her book as Twilight left the room. When Diana noticed Thermidor enter the room, she gave a smile.

"Hello again, Miss Diana," Thermidor greeted, "I wanted to thank you again for healing my mother."

"Oh... you're welcome," Diana said, "I'm glad I could help."

Thermidor bowed his head, then he said, "I was hoping that I could invite you to dinner as a token of my apreciation, if you're available."

"Mhm!" Diana answered, giving a smile.

"Great!" Thermidor exclaimed, obviously happy to see that Diana had accepted his invitation. "Six 'o clock at my place. Mother will be thrilled to see you again."

"I'll be there," Diana replied, giving him a warm smile. Thermidor nodded and started out the door, but stopped when he heard Diana speak again.

"You know, you don't have to leave right away," she said, "Besides, do you even know the way back home?"

Thermidor realized the truth in the last sentence and chuckled to himself.

"No, I don't actually," he confessed, "Do you think you could help with that?"

Diana nodded and trotted over beside him, gesturing to follow. Thermidor obliged and followed the unicorn mare out of the Castle and into the streets of Ponyville. Diana looked around at the sky and a few other objects in the area, then turned in the direction that Seaquestria was located. She started trotting in that direction, making sure that Thermidor was beside her first. As they walked, Thermidor asked, "May I have the privilege of knowing more about you, Diana?"

Diana giggled, then answered, "I was born in a village far from Ponyville. My parents were both unicorns, and I was their pride and joy. Unfortunately, not long after my birth, our village was attacked by King Sombra."

"I thought Sombra had been destroyed," Thermidor said, confusion in his eyes.

"He was, but something had ressurected him," Diana explained, "He had created a new army, and with it he burned my village to the ground. My parents tried to escape with me, but... they instead walked into a trap." A small tear fell down her cheek. "They sacrificed themselves to save my life."

"Oh, Diana!" Thermidor felt sorry for the mare.

"TD and Twilight arrived shortly after to respond to the attack. I was the only survivor they found." A thankful smile formed on her face. "They took me in and raised me as if I was their own daughter. I could never thank them enough for their kindness towards me." She looked to Thermidor. "I'm grateful that they saved me, and I'm proud to be part of their family."

"Wow," Thermidor was amazed. "Never before have I heard such a tale. I'm sorry about your parents. They sounded like good ponies, despite how short a time you spent with them."

"It's okay," Diana said reassuringly, "I never really knew them, so I don't feel too bad about it. Although, I do sometimes wish I could've known more about them before they died." She then looked to something that hadn't been noticed before around her neck: a locket with two faces on the inside. Her parents. "This locket is all I have left of them."

Thermidor felt a little bad for asking about her past, but from what it seemed, Diana didn't hold it against him.

 _She revealed it to you willingly,_ he thought, _It was her call to make, not yours._

"I'm glad to know that life turned around for you afterwards," he said to her.

"It has been quite an adventure," Diana agreed.

They continued to converse in conversation until they had reached the ocean in question. Thermidor led her down into the sea just enough for him to use the transformation, but Diana stopped him.

"It won't be necessary," she said reassuringly, "My dad taught me a spell that allows me to travel underwater without the transformation."

Thermidor nodded, then underwent his own transformation. Once that was done, he led her through the water to his own home, where his mother was already waiting for him. She was feeling much better, thanks to Diana's intervention about a week ago.

"Diana, you've returned!" she exclaimed with joyful surprise. "I must thank you for your kindness towards me when we first met."

Diana smiled kindly at the hippogriff. "No problem ma'am. I was glad to help out."

"Well, why don't you come in?" Thermidor's mother invited, "We're just about to have dinner."

Diana nodded and swam on through the door and into a kind of dinning room. There, a kind of dinner had been set for them all, including a plate for Diana. While the hippogriffs had some kind of sea meat to eat, Diana's plate was actually full of "sea vegetables," as she'd put it for a lack of a better word. There were several other hippogriffs who seemed to be the staff in the house. They were incredibly polite and welcoming as Diana enjoyed her dinner with the hippogriff family. During their meal, Thermidor's mother, who Diana learned was named Seashell, asked Diana a little more about herself.

"So, Diana, care to tell me about yourself? There's still so much I don't know," She asked.

"Mhm! What would you like to know?" Diana asked.

"I don't know, your family perhaps? Where you grew up? I know very little about you," Seashell stated.

"Well," Diana began, "As you may know, I'm not Twilight's child by blood. It's an adoptive relationship. In truth, I was born in a village far from Ponyville. My parents were both unicorns, and I was their precious jewel."

She levitated something from around her neck in front of them that they hadn't noticed before: a locket with two unicorn faces inside, one male and one female. They both looked to be in their early twenties and seemed to be of a reasonably high class.

"This locket is all that I have left to remember them by," Diana said to Seashell.

"I see," She remarked, "Intriguing."

"They died during an attack on my village," Diana replied, "Nopony's exactly sure what happened, but we do know is that they apparently tried to escape with me. But they too were killed off by the attackers, sacrificing themselves to save me." Her expression dropped slightly as she continued. "I was the only survivor, overlooked by the intruders and what others had tried to escape."

"And so then you were taken to an orphanage?" Seashell asked.

"Actually, no," Diana explained, "I was almost overlooked by the rescue party too. Thank Celestia that Aunt Pinkie was there. If it wasn't for her, they probably wouldn't have found me."

"Oh..." Seashell nodded. "Quite interesting, I must say."

"After finding me, everypony was debating what to do for me," Diana continued, "There was no room at the orphanage, because several other attacks had occurred before and it was filled with other foals that had been lucky to escape. None of the others had room to spare, so Twilight and TD decided to take me in and raise me as their own." She smiled a tad. "They're the best family I could've asked for."

"Very nice dear, very nice." Seashell nodded.

"Mhm!" the unicorn nodded. Thermidor couldn't help but chuckle at her voice. He personally found it cute.

"So, Thermidor, you're awfully quiet tonight," Seashell remarked.

"Huh?" Thermidor looked over towards his mother. "Oh, sorry. I was just listening to the story and didn't want to interrupt."

Diana giggled a little and gave a sheepish look as if to say that she had gotten carried away.

"You must take me for a fool if you think I can't tell the difference between chivalry and feeling... what's the word, gauche. Yes, gauche." Seashell remarked with a little chuckle.

"Well..." Thermidor didn't seem to know what to say, which only made Diana giggle more at his embarrassed state. "I... just thought it'd be a good idea to let our guest speak first. That's all."

"See what I mean?" Seashell looked to Diana. "Gauche."

Diana made one final giggle, then looked back to Thermidor who had nothing to try and combat that.

"So... I hope this isn't getting awkward for you," he said to Diana.

"Not at all," Diana said politely. As she spoke, her eyes seemed to suddenly be filled with many miniature hearts, which made her look very cute and almost child-like.

"I'm... dreadfully sorry Thermidor's father couldn't be with us tonight, he is very busy as you may imagine," Seashell said.

"I understand," Diana replied, and it sounded like she meant it. "Dad often has a lot of work to take care of himself, and it can keep him preoccupied for a while."

"What does TD do now?" Thermidor asked.

"Mostly keep the peace with his elite squads," Diana explained. "And he's also had a few run-ins with someone he's been forced to save several times."

"Fascinating line of work." Seashell remarked.

"It's fun sometimes," Diana admitted, "But it can also be scary. I know, because I had to help him a few times." She gave a smile. "I'm not really a lover of combat, but I can hold my own quite well if I'm forced to act."

"It's nice that you're able to do that, so many young adults in this world are completely unprepared for any situation thrust upon them." Seashell remarked.

"To be honest, it's mostly because of a few bullies that I ended up doing that," Diana explained, "I usually wasn't the target, but my friends were. Especially Screwy and Midnight Shade."

"Now why is that?" Seashell asked.

"Screwball is Discord and Fluttershy's daughter, and Midnight is Princess Luna and Phantom Void's daughter," Diana said, "Phantom is Sombra's son and you may be aware of what trouble Discord caused in the past. So, you can probably guess why they'd be picked on."

"And why weren't you picked on?" Thermidor asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"That'd be my brother Zach's fault," she chuckled. "Everypony was too scared to try and insult me knowing that he was brother and son to the most powerful being in existence."

"Well aren't you a lucky one?" Seashell chuckled.

"Not really," Diana remarked, "Sometimes I wished I was the one bullied so my friends wouldn't get the brunt of the blow."

"I know how that feels," Thermidor said softly, but it was still loud enough to catch Diana's attention.

"Hmm?" she asked.

"Oh, you don't know? I REALLY would have figured you'd have known." Seashell stated.

"Mother," Thermidor said to her, a slight warning tone in his voice, "I... haven't had the chance to tell her yet."

"I'm sorry," Diana said, "Is this a bad time? I didn't mean to bring up anything."

"Well, I personally can't believe he hasn't told you, but Thermidor is bl-" Seasheel was interupted.

"Blemishing! Yes! That's it. Acne. Real pain isn't it?" Thermidor chuckled awkwardly. Diana gave them both a look that said she wasn't buying it, but at the same time asking if they could drop it for the night. If Thermidor noticed her expression, he didn't respond to it.

"Well, that was gauche if I've ever seen it." Seashell remarked.

Thermidor suddenly moved away from his spot at the table.

"I just remembered something... very important," he said, though it didn't sound like it at all. "Excuse me."

Thermidor swam out of the room, a little too quickly maybe, leaving Diana with Seashell.

"Poor thing," Diana whispered, looking in his direction. "I feel terrible for him."

* * *

 **A few days later...**

Thermidor knew that he was in front of a Changeling hive right away, as the buzzing of the drones was an all-too obvious giveaway. He had tried to find a place to think, but had accidently stumbled upon the hive as he traveled through the outskirts of Ponyville. Well, from what he had heard from the locals, they were quite friendly so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Besides, this was as good as any place to think. Sighing, he leaned up against a tree and started to think...

"Hey buddy!" a Changeling called to him, "Careful over there! The larvae like to play under the shade there and the last thing we want is for one to get hurt."

Thermidor nodded and placed his face back into his front claws.

"Easy there Anthropod," another Changeling, the Changeling king, Chuck, scolded, walking by. "My wife will have my cajones hanging on the doorknob if we don't at least appear welcoming to outsiders," He muttered walking up to the figure. "Sorry about him, I'll be sure to cut him off from our food distribution program," He joked to the Hippogriff, now leaning up against the tree.

Thermidor looked up at Chuck, then asked, "Are you the monarch of this hive? Miss Diana told me that you're a relatively peaceful hive? Or peaceful by Changeling standards."

"You're talking to the king, that's right." He nodded. "And yeah, we're a pretty peaceful group, though I feel TOO peaceful at times." He muttered. "Name's Chuck, just call me that."

"Chuck?" Thermidor asked, then a smile of realization hit him. "Oh, you're one of Diana's Uncles... by friendship with her father." He offered his claw forward. "Lord Thermidor of Seaquestria. It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"Likewise. What brings you to my humble kingdom?" Chuck asked.

"Well, I originally came here to think," Thermidor mentioned, "I didn't realize I was moving in on you until I heard the buzzing. My eyesight isn't my strongest factor."

"Not with those things on, I can't imagine," Chuck remarked, pointing at the sunglasses. "You picked a good spot to think; this is my second favorite place to do that. I can't bring my records out here, so that's why it's my second favorite."

Thermidor chuckled, then he said, "I've been wondering what to do. I'm not sure what to tell her. I... had a bad experience in my childhood, and the last time one heard about my- no, I don't wish to bring it up."

But what Thermidor had said had brought up enough emotions Chuck could sense off him: pain, saddness, maybe a little anger. He clearly didn't have a nice experience in his younger days.

"What's this I'm feeling?" Chuck remarked. "Sad for... someone else?" He said in a mock surprise. "What happened? If I may ask."

Thermidor looked up in surprise, then managed a small chuckle.

"Guess there's no use trying to hide your emotions from a Changeling, is there?" he stated, then sighed. "I was bullied as a child for my condition, even lost a friend over it when I told him about it. I try to hide the full truth out of fear for being in the same situation again. Sounds stupid, but... that's as much as I can say about it."

"I get it," Chuck nodded. "Kind of. Well, have you tried telling someone else? It's been a while since you were a child I can assume."

"My grandparents," Thermidor answered, "And Princess Skystar, as she is a close friend of mine. Surprisingly good at keeping it a secret too." He looked off into the distance. "There is one other I've considered talking to about it... Diana herself."

"And I can see why," Chuck remarked. "Did you know that since I'm like a bug I pick up pheromones incredibly well?"

"Well, to be fair, Changelings have always been known to pick up the emotions of others," Thermidor noted. "So like I said, no use in hiding it."

"Yeah." He nodded. "But yeah, if you've got some sort of physical impairment, it's best to disclose that information."

Themidor nodded a little, then spoke his thoughts. "Sometimes, I wonder if I should tell her. She herself has a physical impairment, yet she's managed to get along just fine. Maybe she'd be more understanding about it. But then, there's that side of me that brings back my fears." He looked to Chuck. "What do you think?"

"Well, if she feels differently about you for your thing, then she'd be a real freaking hypocrite and not worth your time," Chuck said bluntly. "Too blunt? Sorry. But you should tell her."

"I know," Thermidor admitted, "But can I gather the coruage to tell her? That is the real question."

Suddenly, a yelp was heard from nearby as a Changeling started running for his life, though there didn't seem to be anything he was running from. Until a flash of light appeared in front of him, causing him to skid to a stop as a rather annoyed (and well-known) human stood before him.

"Do I seriously need to give you any further warnings!?" the human shouted, "Stay. Out. Of. My. Lab!"

He pulled a can out and sprayed its contents on the Changeling, who hissed as soon as it hit him.

"Have you tried moving the lab?" Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Chuck, I believe I've explained why I can't," TD stated, "And right now, my patience is hanging by a thread. So please, be careful what you say right now, or the bug spray hits you next."

"As if that'll help," the Changeling from earlier scoffed.

"Don't test me, kid," TD warned, his finger on the spray tap.

"Please! In fact, I'll open my jaw as wide as I can, empty the can." Chuck rolled his eyes more. TD started towards him, then stopped.

"You know what? I'll just leave before someone gets hurt," he said. With a snap, he was gone.

"Does this happen often?" Thermidor asked.

"Roughly every day. But there was last Thursday where it didn't. I'll always love last Thursday." Chuck explained. "Say, why don't you an' I take a stroll through town? I'll introduce you to my kids. To sweeten the deal, I'm pretty sure Diana will be with them an' Zach."

Thermidor smiled. "I'll take up your offer, Chuck. I need to speak with Diana anyways."

"Perfect!" Chuck nodded. "So I gotta ask, how'd you wind up with a lobster dish for a name? You're not a crustacean," He asked as they walked.

"I beg your pardon?" Thermidor was confused. "I don't believe I've heard of such a thing."

"Lobster Thermidor?" Chuck asked. "Rich type food. Big where I came from."

Thermidor chuckled. "That's quite an irony. I don't believe my mother would've called me that if she knew what it was."

"You can always change your name. I did," Chuck explained.

"Thanks, but I think Diana prefers my own name currently," Thermidor nodded.

"Heads up!" a voice shouted ahead as a figure flew by them, then right back past them at a blinding fast speed.

"Gotta say, didn't love my homeworld, but it was far less hazardous to my head," Chuck remarked.

Thermidor seemed confused, but didn't have time to speak before the figure returned to land in front of them. It was Zach, and he gave Chuck an apologetic expression.

"Sorry Chuck," he said, "I was forced to make a few evasive maneuvers thanks to an experiment gone wrong. And guess who was the scientist?"

"I have a pretty good idea," Chuck said. "Where are my kids?"

"Back there a little ways with Diana," Zach explained, pointing behind him. "I think Diana might've almost had a heart attack there."

"Doesn't surprise me," Chuck said, "This is Thermidor. Know him?"

Zach looked to Thermidor and a smile crossed his face.

"We've crossed paths a few times," Zach stated. "But that was over an issue when the hippogriff court almost went berserk." Thermidor walked over and shook the pegasus's hoof.

"Good to see you again, Zachary," Thermidor said.

"Please, call me Zach," the pegasus replied, "Aunt Applejack calls me Zachary a little too much."

"I pay her to do that," Chuck whispered to Thermidor.

"You wish," Zach chuckled. Just then, Diana came rushing up to him, followed by three others; Chuck's children.

"Zach! Are you okay?" Diana asked him.

"I'm fine Baby Sis," Zach said with a small laugh. "I'm the son of TD. It'd take more than some turbulence to kill me."

"I trust my three offspring are fine," Chuck said to his kids. "And if not... take it up with your mother."

Thermidor chuckled, then introduced himself. "Lord Thermidor of Seaquestria. And yes, I'm aware that in your father's homeworld that I'm named after a dish." He chuckled. "I should check with my mother about that one."

"It's also the eleventh month of the French Republican Calendar," Sterling added.

"Is it?" Zach asked. "Dad hasn't been out enough to confirm stuff like that for me and Diana."

"That's my boy," Chuck grinned at his son.

"That's what Google's for," Diana added with a giggle. She then looked to Thermidor. "Hi..."

"Diana, I'm sorry I disappeared like that earlier," Thermidor started, "I had a lot on my mind and I took it poorly. I know it's not much of an-"

Diana stopped him with a hoof to his mouth. "It's okay. I understand. Had that happen with myself once."

"Come on, let's give them some privacy," Chuck ushered his kids away. "Who wants pizza with some of that stuff I smuggled from my homeworld?"

"I do!" The Pie kids exclaimed.

"Wait for me!" Zach called as he followed, "I don't want to be a third wheel either!"

The five of them scattered, leaving Diana and Thermidor alone for the time being. Diana was the one to speak first.

"Why did you run off?" she asked, although she had a good idea what it was.

"I... was scared how you'd respond once you discovered... disability," he admitted. Diana was silent, waiting for him to continue. Thermidor sighed, knowing that he was taking a huge plunge, and removed his shades. Even though Diana had half-expected it, she still felt a twinge of pity for him upon seeing his eyes. His eyes were completely grey, eyes that he couldn't see out with. From the way it looked, it seemed like he had been born this way.

"You're... blind," she said softly. Thermidor nodded and though his eyes did not allow for sight, he closed them tightly.

"None of the other children in my area wanted anything to do with me as a young hippogriff," he explained sadly, "They all teased me for my disability, all except Skystar. She was the only true friend I had during such times. My fears of being bullied onward in life got the better of me sadly... and I hid it from the world. I got so good at hiding it, most creatures would never guess." He sighed. "I'm sorry I never told you myself. I should've been more honest to you."

He sat in silence, waiting for her answer. The sensation of her hoof to his face was a more clear indication of her answer than her words that followed after.

"I don't care that you're blind," she said gently. Thermidor was still a little confused.

"You don't?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Diana replied, "My dad told me never to judge anypony by their looks. You're no exception. Besides," she giggled, "I'd be a bit hypocritical if I did. After all, I have a disability too and I'm friends with many others that don't look like normal ponies."

Thermidor smiled and a heavy weight seemed to lift from his shoulders. He then got a little sheepish and asked, "I... don't know if this is too much to ask... but could you probably let me... see your face? I'm asking only for a few seconds."

Diana giggled, then her horn glowed and she placed it gently against his forehead. For a few long seconds, Thermidor saw the face of Diana for the first time; in fact, he was seeing for the first time, period. The mare he saw before her was a gorgeous blonde color with a pink mane and tail. Her eyes were a lovely shade of blue and he could've sworn he could see miniature hearts in her eyes that made her look all the more alluring to him. Her Cutie Mark, which he could see plainly from his angle, was a butterfly inside a large heart.

"Beautiful..." was all he could manage to say as he savored every second that the temporary sight allowed him. Diana smiled warmly at him as he lifted a claw up to her face, as if to confirm that what he was seeing was real. He brushed it gently against her cheek as his vision slowly disappeared again. But this time, he was content for now.

"I never thought... I'd see such a beautiful face..." he whispered, as Diana took his claw in one of her front hooves. Diana giggled, then looked out at the sky. It was starting to get dark.

"It's rather lovely tonight," she said to him. "Care to walk with me?"

Thermidor smiled. "Absolutely."

Squeezing her hoof tightly, the two walked through the streets of Ponyville together under the night sky, savoring their moment together as time crawled on. From a distance, unknown to both, TD watched them from the Castle of Friendship in his pony form. A smile passed over his face as he watched them walk through the streets.

"Well, the 'no coltfriend' problem is solved!" he stated aloud. "Now, what are the odds of getting Sweet Tooth one as well?"

While he pondered this, a flash of light appeared and a crate stood before him on the balcony. Curious, TD read the label.

"To: Chuck. From: Red the Hedgehog. 'Sorry this took so long to repair, but it's finally good as new.' What is it?"

TD's horn glowed for a moment, then it stopped and his face lit up.

"Oh. My. Gosh! Chuck is gonna be so hyped when he sees this!" he laughed. He then picked up the crate with his magic and teleported down to the doors outside, trotting in the direction of Chuck's hive to deliver a present that was long overdue for the former human...

* * *

 **It's currently a few minutes after the Fourth of July as I finish this AN. So... happy late Fourth of July everyone!**

 **Thank you all you humans and ponies who've followed me so far! Cya in the next chapter!**


	37. Another Wedding (1st Three-way collab!)

**A little event I hinted to from my collab series with _Admirer Boy_ , "Joy Star: The Final Days." If you've read that series, then you know what's coming. If you haven't, then SPOILER ALERT!**

 **Also, I'm trying something on this chapter I haven't tried before, or anyone else as far as I know: I'm collabing with TWO authors at the same time on the same chapter/same story! I hope I don't screw it up! XD**

 **"Please enjoy! We work hard on these things."**

* * *

"Chuck! Chuck!" TD called from outside the hive belonging to the monarch in question, "I really would like to have a word with you! Maybe two..."

"What's up?" The monarch asked, walking over.

"I wanted to ask if you'd like to come to the wedding," TD spoke, "Screwball and Tracker were very clear to me about the date, and apparently it's in the next few days." He chuckled. "And Derpy messed up the invitations again. This time they're too late. Discord, Zach and I have had the heck of a time correcting that."

"In the next few days? Very specific. But I'll probably be free," Chuck stated.

"Great!" TD exclaimed enthusiastically. "By the way, did you ever receive that package Red sent you from across dimensions? I don't see it out, so that's why I asked."

"What package?" He asked.

TD sighed. "I thought he acted a little too much like Derpy." He looked behind Chuck and shouted, "Wade, you sorry excuse of a Changeling, bring his package here now!"

"That's not my name!" a voice called back.

"Does it look like I care?!" TD demanded, then sighed. "At this rate, I might as well be a third leader at the hive considering how often I yell at them."

"The ability to yell does not grant leadership," Chuck said snidely. "What's the package?"

"See for yourself," TD grinned as several Changelings arrived with a box, "Red says it's been in the repair shop for the longest of times as he made several tweaks to get it in the right condition again."

"Yeah? And just what is that?" Chuck asked, opening the box. When he looked inside, he immediately felt a rush of joy with a pinch of PTSD. "No... fragging... way." He remarked as a grin spread across his face. Inside was a very fancy, highly futuristic robotic suit that was designed to fit an Equestrian. It seemed to have a fresh paint job, which was a bright cheery orange color and a glowing Iron Man-like helmet. TD giggled.

"The Equestrian Civilian Battle Suit," he said, "Now with new and improved upgrades. He heard about your transformation into a Changeling monarch and upgraded the suit to fit both your original form and your new form. Oh, and there's something in the suit that has been dying to see you, even if you didn't interact with her too much last time."

Right when he spoke, the suit's eyes lit up and a female robotic voice spoke from the suit.

"Master Murphy, is that really you?" the AI voice asked, somehow managing to have emotions flow through her voice. It was almost like she had a human personality.

"You're darn right it's me baby." He chuckled, answering the AI. "Don't... don't tell my wife I called you baby." He added awkwardly.

"I don't mind," the AI replied, "I don't wish to get in the way of your love life. I'm just so glad you're okay sir! I thought you were gone forever!"

"Red told you at least twenty times on that day alone he was back, Cindy," TD giggled.

"I thought he was just trying to make me feel better," Cindy argued.

"Why give you false hope?" TD laughed, not bothering to ask why the AI thought that way.

"Yeah, if he wanted to give false hope, he'd become a therapist," Chuck stated. "Care to go for a fly around town?" He asked the AI. The suit opened up to allow him to enter and Cindy chuckled.

"I think you're a little too attached to me already, sir," she said, "But if you wish to test me out again, I'll be happy to oblige."

"Too attached? Oh please." He chuckled. "To infinity..." The jets ignited and he took to the sky. "AND BEYOND!"

TD laughed. "How did I know you'd use that reference?"

"Intuition I guess," Chuck stated, the face shield now lightly synthesizing his voice. "If anyone needs me, tell 'em to look ten thousand feet in the sky!" He laughed as he took off. TD watched him fly off, still laughing.

"Red, you have outdone yourself!" he exclaimed. "I'd love to see someone try to mess with this hive now!"

"Why's my husband almost two miles into the sky?" Pinkie asked, walking over.

"Remember that old suit that he wore when you guys were forced to fight me?" TD asked. "Yeah. Red sent it back to him, new and improved," he explained.

"He's gonna wear that thing to bed, I guarantee it," She remarked. "Could Red have AT LEAST programmed it to be a male AI? I don't like the way Cindy talks to him."

"Well, to be fair, she was created before he met you guys," TD reasoned. "Besides, Cindy doesn't have the personality type to try and interfere with your relationship. She just sees him as a friend and nothing more."

"She'd better," Pinkie nodded. TD gave a cheeky smile.

"Pinkamena Pie, am I sensing jealousy from thee?" he asked teasingly.

"Jealous?" She asked. "Noooo."

"If Screwball was here, she'd say otherwise," TD laughed. "Oh! On that note, Screwy and Tracker invited you and your family to the wedding when it arrives. We have only a few more days, three at the least."

"Oh, of course! We'd be happy to come!" She smiled.

"Great!" TD said enthusiastically, "They'll be happy to hear that." He looked behind Pinkie Pie at the hive entrance. "Before I leave though, tell that Changeling back there to PUT DOWN MY POTION!"

The last words were amplified above normal levels as he used a command spell to stop a Changeling in its tracks. It was carrying a potion of some sorts.

"Gosh darn it!" the Changeling complained, apparently female in gender, as she set the potion down unwillingly, "I wanted to test the 'frog prince' theory out!"

"You're a Changeling! You don't need potions to do that," Pinkie stated. The Changeling didn't seem convinced, but she still stood aside and allowed TD to take back his prize.

"Your kind is a little too attracted to my lab," he grumbled, "Seriously, I'm about to have Plank guard it as a full-time job."

"MY KIND?" Pinkie arched her brow.

"What're you saying about my people?" Chuck asked, hovering not too far above them.

"I've found that Changelings tend to be attracted to my lab like a magnet," TD replied, "It was not meant to be offensive."

"Well, you could just kick them out, but why stop there? Maybe there should be "No Changelings allowed" restaurants too!" Chuck exclaimed.

"Okay, easy Martin Luther king Jr." Pinkie calmed him down.

"I've TRIED kicking them out, Chuck, but they keep coming back!" TD argued, "And apparently some don't know how to read? Yeah, that one confused me."

"Some of them don't get the privilege to know how to read." Chuck closed his eyes in a mock form of sadness.

"I'm... not gonna bother," TD remarked. "So, at least, the wedding's in three days. If you accept, which knowing Pinkie it's not up for debate, I'll need to know ahead of time as well as who'll show up. The last thing we need is to not have enough seats for the guests."

"Well, us and the kids are going for sure." Chuck nodded.

"I saw that coming a mile away," TD grinned, "So all you need to do now is warn me as far ahead in advance as possible about any other... guests."

At the last part, he gestured to the swarm of Changelings that always seemed to be circling the hive.

"You know, most weddings have a guest list. And only those on the list come." Chuck stated, arching a brow.

"Chuck, I know that's how wedding lists tend to work, but try telling that to the one-too-many Changelings from your hive that don't know the meaning of 'invite only'," TD explained. "Remember when you were turned into a Changeling? I invited only one, and we ended up getting ten or twelve."

"What can I say? The arrival of their new king is a pretty important event." Chuck smirked. "But, if it helps, I simply won't tell them. I can't promise the same thing about Sterling, he's a bit of a Dorkus. I love him of course, but he's a Dorkus."

"You realize that's the name of a villain from a cartoon, right?" TD asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Is it? In my country, it's used to berate someone for a lack of intelligence," Chuck stated. "Dorkus Marorkus is the full title, first used March 31st, 1996 in the phrase 'Maybe because you are, as we say in Latin, a "Dorkus Malorkus,"'" Chuck explained.

"Huh. The more you know," TD replied, the appropriate meme appearing above his head as he spoke.

"I'm pretty bright," Chuck boasted.

"I'll hold you to that," TD chuckled. "Get your family ready. I'll save you the seats!"

He started to leave, but then stopped as if remembering something. He then pulled out a piece of paper, read it, then a grin spread on his face.

"Expect an old friend, Pinkie Pie," he said mysterious, then disappeared in a flash of light.

"I already don't like this," Chuck remarked.

"That's what I said about you getting that suit back," Pinkie said.

"Don't listen to her, Cindy, she didn't mean that," Chuck said to the AI in his suit.

"That's a lie," Cindy stated, "But your attempt to turn it around is appreciated."

"That's what I do." Chuck stated. "Do you have a formal mode for the suit? That'd come in handy for the wedding."

"You can wear a normal suit to the wedding." Pinkie told him, more of a demand than a suggestion.

"She has a point, Master Chuck," Cindy agreed. "Plus, I'm mostly built for combat sir. I can attend the event if that works with my autopilot system."

"Normal suits don't come built in with missile launchers, boosters, or air conditioning units." Chuck muttered. "Trust me, I've asked Rarity for a regular suit that can do that a hundred times."

"But she also doesn't have access to military grade weapons, especially ones from outside of Equestria," Cindy answered.

"Like it's THAT HARD to get those weapons. If she can get stupid sequins for one special order, you'd think she could get an RPG for mine," Chuck whined. "Hey Cindy, wanna go harass Cheese Sandwich and Ivory? They have no idea about you and the suit."

A hum was heard from the suit, then Cindy sighed.

"Okay, but nothing too over the top," she warned, "Otherwise, I'm forcefully ejecting you from the suit."

"They'll live," Chuck snickered. "Up, up, and away!" He laughed, flying up to the sky and off towards where his friends were.

* * *

"I wonder who he's sending this time," TD wondered as he stood in a clearing of the Everfree forest alongside the mute pegasus known as Humming Bird. She gave him a curious look.

"Actually yes. I did end up fighting him the first time we met," TD answered, as if she had spoken. Another expression, excited and questioning. "He gave up mostly because he was already a bit rusty after an attack from Discord."

The air nearby suddenly shimmered brightly and he smiled.

"Stand by," TD ordered as the portal opened and emptied its occupants. Out of the portal came Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, the newly crowned Princess Bubble, Joy, and his two children Sunlight, and Bold. They looked around and quickly recognized their surroundings, as well as the two figures who were standing in front of them.

"Hi William," Joy said, "Nice to see you." Then he looked towards the pegasus mare who was standing beside him. "You too Humming Bird."

"It's good to be here again... " Bubble stated, and soon noticed Humming Bird standing beside the human. "Hi Humming Bird, I'm still so thankful to you... Mom, this is Humming Bird. She's the mare who once helped to save Joy's life..."

Celestia gave a look of surprise before going towards her and gave a smile. "You have our most sincere gratitude, Humming Bird." Then she looked towards TD. "William, I must ask..." Celestia paused before Luna continued.

"Why in the Everfree forest in all the places of Equestria?" She asked calmly.

TD giggled. "Two reasons: one, Screwball and Tracker don't know about your arrival yet and I wanted it to be a surprise. Two, this was the more convenient place to cause a portal to appear and have plenty of room depending on the amount of beings that came through the portal." He smirked. "Besides, admit it. I've always been a little bit of a nuisance to you all."

Just then, a howl was heard nearby and TD looked in it's direction. After a few seconds, he smiled.

"Sounds like another friend of ours is very happy to see you guys," he chuckled. For no sooner has he said that, than a large Timberwolf bounded out of the forest canopy, bouncing around like a large puppy.

"Hey, it's Plank!" Sunny called, hovering towards the Timber Wolf, while Bold came behind her galloping. Joy smiled as he saw the giant Timber Wolf.

"We're glad to see you too Plank," He said. The Timberwolf made a happy bark, then allowed the two children to cuddle and pat him as he growled happily. TD chuckled.

"Guess he missed you guys more than he lets on," he noted. Humming Bird giggled, then looked back to Celestia and Luna with a friendly smile. The reply from royal sisters was a simple nod with a smile. Joy looked towards his children who were playing with Plank like he really was a giant puppy. Joy gestured to them and they both came back to their daddy.

"Come here you two, I want you to meet somepony," he said while gesturing towards Humming Bird. "This is Humming Bird. Humming Bird, these are my children, Sunny and Bold," Joy said as both looked towards her with curiosity. She gave them a smile and waved politely to them, her eyes giving a friendly greeting as well.

"Nice to meet you too," Sunny said. TD chuckled, then looked around the area.

"Well, I guess I should get you out of the forest and into the town," he said, "I've marked the path here and no hostile creature of Everfree dares to cross it and attack innocent travelers."

He gestured to a dirt path that stood a ways away from the group, heading in the direction of Ponyville. He grinned.

"Courtesy of myself and the Spirit of Chaos," he explained, as he led them down the path.

"Very well," Celestia said, "Then we should be going."

And so all of the group headed towards Ponyville, where they expected that a special event was about to be held.

 **-Time skip-**

"Ponyville," Sunny clapped her hooves as she saw the town, "There it is!"

"I know my sunshine," Joy giggled as he understood that her daughter was mistaking it for the same town she saw before. "But that's not the same Ponyville you know."

"Huh?!" She was confused.

"I'll explain to you later, my dear," Bubble said.

TD giggled. "It may be a bit for her to take in when you explain to her. So my advice Sunny; don't try to take it all in at once when you hear it."

Just then, the group noticed a familiar blonde unicorn mare approaching them from a distance with a male hippogriff at her side. He was about the mare's age, around 21, and was blue in color. His mane, or what counted as a mane for hippogriffs, was a light purple color, and his beak was a dark orange color. A pair of shades covered his eyes suggesting a problem with his eyesight, but he seemed to get around quite well anyways. The unicorn noticed them and rushed towards them, the hippogriff following at a slower pace.

"Joy! Bubble!" the unicorn cried with joy as she approached them.

"Diana!" Joy and Bibble both shouted as they saw their unicorn friend. "It's so good to see you."

"Good to see you too!" she exclaimed, then looked to the younger ones. "Hello again Sunny and Bold."

"Hi Diana," Sunny said, "It's really nice to meet you again." Bold smiled in reassurance.

By then, the hippogriff had caught up to them.

"Sounds like you've met some old friends, haven't you?" he asked Diana with a smile.

"Mhm!" she replied. "Thermidor, these are my friends. Joy Star, his wife Princess Bubble, and their adorable children Sunny and Bold." She then looked up to the larger alicorns. "And their versions of Princess Celestia and Luna."

"Ah, so from another world?" Thermidor guessed, flashing a smile at the human. "Diana's told me about you, and I never thought I'd ever get to meet you in the flesh."

Joy looked between Diana and the hippogriff before he seemed realize something and smiled.

"Well, I am glad to meet you too," Joy said extending his hand for a hand to claw shake. "I never met a hippogriff before, what was your name again?" Joy asked sheepishly.

"Thermidor," the hippogriff answered. He then looked up to Luna and Celestia, or at least in their general direction. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties."

"Nice to meet you too," Celestia replied.

"It's been a while since we saw one of your kind in... our Equestria," Luna added.

"Well, we've had about a twenty year head-start to be fair," TD replied. "So, who's up for the grand tour?"

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Diana spoke up, "Even if this is a different Equestria, I think they know their way around Ponyville."

"It's very true." Bubble said, then looked towards her children. "So what do you say my foals..."

"I wanna go see the Cutie Mark Crusaders," Sunny said, "They're in Ponyville, right?"

"Well, normally they aren't," TD said, "After all, they're all grown up here. But, I managed to get them to come on over for the wedding."

"So, they ARE in Ponyville," Sunny said, "Great!"

"Almost," TD chuckled as he led them towards the Castle of Friendship. "But you'll see them very soon."

As he spoke, the doors of the castle ahead opened and Princess Twilight trotted out along with three other adult ponies. The first was a yellow earth pony with a red mane and tail, the second a white unicorn with a purple and pink mane, and an orange pegasus with a purplish mane. All three of them had an identical Cutie Mark, which was a shield that had only one difference between them: the symbol inside the shield was different for each of them. Twilight noticed them and smiled.

"Joy, Bubble!" she greeted, "Welcome back. And I see you brought your family too. Glad to have you."

"Thank you very much Twilight," Bubble said.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Sunny exclaimed as she hovered towards them, "Wow, you're really grown up here. It's really nice to see you again." She said as Bold trotted towards them. Joy and Bubble giggled at this, as their children still didn't understand what was happening. The CMC giggled at the foals' enthusiasm, then greeted them in turn.

"Hi there!" Applebloom greeted.

"Aww! Aren't they adorable?" Sweetie Belle remarked.

"Nice foals you have there," Scootaloo added.

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you describe the levels of cuteness?" TD asked, his image turning into some kind of bulky white robot.

"Ten," Scootaloo replied without turning to him.

"Definitely a ten," Applebloom agreed.

"Thanks," Joy said as he stood beside his foals and rubbed Sunny's head, "To us, they are the most adorable things in the whole wide world of Equestria."

Sunny and Bold smiled sheepishly at this.

"So, what have you three been up to lately?" Bubble asked.

"Well, as our Cutie Marks show, we help other ponies earn their own Cutie Marks," Applebloom explained.

"But we also are a part-time band," Sweetie Belle added.

"You bet we are!" Scootaloo stated with a smile. "Sweetie Belle here is probably the best singer in all of Equestria... Well,this Equestria at least."

"Challenge accepted," TD joked.

"I don't doubt that," Bubble smiled and turned to Twilight. "So Princess Twilight, you must be excited for your son's wedding, aren't you?"

"I couldn't be happier," she replied. "Watching my children grow up... it makes me feel so happy inside."

"And a bit sad," TD added, "No matter how old they are."

"I understand the sad part," Celestia sighed and giggled. "I know it's a great pleasure to see them grow up, but... as TD said, it also has a sad side to it."

"Uncle, where did you put the-" a female voice asked from inside as an earth pony mare walked outside, stopping midsentence at the sight of the visitors. She was purple in color with a propeller cap and instead of normal eyes, they were spirals with no pupils or other features to them. After a count of three, Screwball squealed with delight.

"You came!" she shouted, crushing them in a big hug, "I'm so glad you're here!"

"So- glad to- see you Screwball," Joy said as he and Bubble returned the crushing hug.

"Speaking of- excitement," Bubble giggled.

"Oh! Sorry!" Screwball released them and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I... didn't expect you to arrive for at least another day or two. This is a pleasant surprise!"

"Congratulations!" They both said in unison.

"I can imagine how happy you are," Bubble chuckled.

"You have no idea," another voice said from behind and out trotted Tracker. However, he seemed to be a bit older physically than from when they last saw him. If the vampire pony was surprised to see them, he was very good at hiding it.

"Hey Tracker!" Joy put his hand on the vampire pony's shoulder, "Congratulations my friend."

"Congratulations Screwball!" Celestia said to the mare beside them, "Now I wonder, where is your father?" She asked thoughtfully.

"He probably would be around somewhere sister." Luna giggled. "Must be thinking on pranking us, mischievous as he is."

"Discord is actually helping us fetch some other guests from the Thunder Empire," TD explained. "And he almost objected to the wedding solely on the idea of keeping Screwball as his little girl forever."

Screwball giggled. "And ironically, he's now the most dedicated of us all to get the wedding under way."

"It looks like the Discord of this Equestria has changed so much," Celestia said, "Even a spirit of chaos can become sensitive when it comes to their children."

"What is the Thunder Empire by the way?" Joy asked.

Before anyone could answer him, a flash of light appeared nearby and the spirit of Chaos himself appeared before them, along with three other figures. One looked like the Princess Luna from Joy's world, but the other two were complete strangers to them. The first was an alicorn male, dark grey in color with an orange fiery mane and tail, crimson red eyes, and a scar across the left eye. He wore a white cloak with blue flames at the bottom, blue armbands on his front hooves, and a long red scarf around his neck. His Cutie Mark was two crossed swords with a blue flame symbol at the center. An additional feature that could be seen on him was a crystal front hoof.  
The second was another, younger, female alicorn, who seemed to be a mixture of both the other alicorns beside her. She looked roughly around Diana's age, but her eyes said that she was at least a few years older than that. Upon seeing each other, Diana and the younger alicorn cried out with joy.

"Diana!"

"Midnight!"

The two rushed into a big hug, as they appeared to be good friends with each other. In a few moments, Joy seemed to realize who the other Alicorn standing beside Princess Luna of TD's world was, as well as his relationship with that young alicorn who went by the name Midnight.

"Phantom Void...?" Joy asked almost suddenly. The male alicorn gave a polite bow.

"It is a pleasure to met you, Joy Star," he said with a smile. His voice sounded dark, but it didn't sound evil like Sombra's had. "My niece has spread quite the stories about you and your Equestria."

"Well, which one story is your favorite?" Bubble giggled.

Phantom chuckled. "It would have to be the one where he rushed headlong into the hotel where his damsel in distress was kept prisoner, with no regards to his own safety, all to save a pony that held a special place in his heart."

Princess Luna beside him giggled. "You make it sound much more daring and heroic than it really was," she stated, before looking over to her alternate self. "I'd say I'm surprised to see my alternate self, but TD's pulled worst on me before in the Dreamscape."

"I'm quite surprised as well," Luna stated, "It's really strange to see my alternate self in front of me."

"You ponies need to get out more," Discord joked, then looked to his daughter. "The streamers have been delivered and the invites have been sent."

Screwball giggled. "Dad, you don't need to go all out on it."

"But of course I must!" Discord insisted, "This is my little girl's special day!"

"We were feeling the same way at Joy's wedding," Celestia explained. "That day was one of the best days of my life including Cadence and Shining's wedding."

"Well, this is gonna be a full house!" TD joked. "So much to do and so little time."

"Then why aren't you doing anything?" Twilight asked him.

"Because the situation was only like that six days ago!" TD laughed. The others laughed a little at this as well.

"So when is the wedding gonna be held?" Joy asked. "I'm asking this, because I am so excited."

"Two more days," Screwball answered. "We still have a few more details to cover, some which I was hoping you could help me with." She directed the last words at Bubble.

"So please, feel free to stay with us until then," Twilight finished. "We'd be glad to have you."

"It would be my pleasure," Bubble said looking towards Screwball.

"We'd love to stay in this world for a while," Celestia replied as Luna reassured with a nod.

"Then come on iiiiinnn!" TD called enthusiastically, opening the doors to the castle wider. With this, all of them headed inside the castle, except Bubble who took a moment before following after with a smile on her face.

* * *

"...Do you, Tracker Sparkle, take Screwball Fluttershy Draconequus, to be your lawfully wedded wife...?"

TD and his friends and family watched the ceremony carry on as Celestia- his Celestia- started on the finishing touches of the wedding. TD in particular was trying (and failing) to keep the tears from falling from his eyes, while Twilight simply giggled and leaned against him as memories of their own wedding washed over them. They still counted that as one of the most beautiful moments of their lives. Lining all the other seats, the Pie family, Joy and his family, the CMC, and the rest of the Elements were all present. Discord, while giving Tracker a slight glare, was also tearing up at the event. Up on stage, Diana and Zach, who had been chosen as best mare and best stallion respectively for the couple, were standing on the stage with the rings ready to be called upon. Eventually, and all too quickly for some, the ceremony came to an end.

"...by the power invested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife," Celestia concluded, "You may now kiss the bride."

Tracker lifted the veil from Screwball's face, then they pulled each other in for a kiss while the others all cheered. TD now felt really thankful that he had altered Tracker's outer appearance to look older, otherwise he probably would've felt like he was doing something illegal. A Sonic Rainboom and a colorful explosion in the sky, the latter being a combined effort from Zach and Diana, signaled the end.

"Gosh darn it!" TD complained, wiping a tear from his eyes, "I promised I wouldn't cry this time, and that failed miserably."

"It reminds of my very own special day," Bubble said. "Isn't this so... so..?"

"Emotional... maybe joyful?" Joy finished as he saw some tears glittering in her eyes. "I know... I am so happy for them."

Bubble giggled before using her hoof to wipe the tears.

"Best. Wedding. Ever," Sunny said.

"That was... amazing," Bold said in reassurance.

"How did we know them again?" Chuck asked quietly to his wife beside him, who was sobbing her eyes out. TD laughed, then looked to Joy and Bubble.

"Hey you two! I'd like for you to meet a friend of mine," he said, leading them over to the two Changeling Monarchs and their family. "You remember Pinkie, but I'd like for you to also meet her husband, Chuck, and their children: Sugar Plum, Sterling and Sweet Tooth."

"Hello there, I am Joy Star, son of Princess Celestia," the other human greeted, "This is my wife Bubble..." Bubble slightly bowed her head and then raised it again "...and these are my foals, Sunlight and Bold," Joy said, extending his hand towards Chuck. "It's really nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Chuck nodded respectfully.

"It's really nice to meet you too," Joy said to their children and giggled a bit. "And let me say, you have the most jolly mother in all of Equestria."

"I did learn from the best," Sterling said proudly.

"Learn what? Getting fat? You learned that from dad," Sweet Tooth remarked.

"She's not wrong," Chuck shrugged.

Joy gave Chuck a curious look before smiling and saying, "I agree." Bubble and his foals giggled at this as well.

"I still remember the banana split that did it too," Sterling remarked, looking at his gut.

"It was seventeen bananas and fifty one scoops of ice cream, we all remember., Chuck arched his brow.

"And almost two liters of sundae sauce!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Not to mention every maraschino cherry we could find in town," Sugar Plum added.

Joy couldn't help but chuckle lightly as his wife and foals giggled at this as well.

"You don't say!" Joy said to Pinkie.

"Oh yeah, Sterling eats like you wouldn't believe," Pinkie nodded. "It's crazy by my standards."

"And especially by mine," Chuck said. "And believe it or not my tolerance for crazy isn't all that high."

"I can see that," Bubble said. "My dear Sunny is also a big time sweets lover."

"Mom~!" Sunny spoke with a blush.

"I challenge you to a sweet eating contest!" Sterling blurted.

"No Sterling," Chuck said sternly.

Bubble smiled and shrugged at this before looking towards Sterling. "Aww, don't you worry. Maybe some other time."

"Hey Pinkie Pie!" TD called over teasingly, "Guess who the secret guest is?"

"Who?" She asked. "Lyra Heartstrings? Prince Rutherford? John Candy?"

"I'm pretty sure John Candy's dead, hon," Chuck said.

"Nope!" TD smirked. "It's another Changeling. From another hive. In fact, you're actually staring at her right now!"

As TD spoke, a burst of dark blue flames engulfed him. When they cleared, a new figure stood before them. It was a Changeling monarch, purple in color with dark blue eyes and wings. Unlike most Changelings, she had two pairs of wings instead of one pair, and they were like that of a dragonfly's. As Pinkie started to realize who she was, her image changed again into another familiar form: a light green pegasus with a blue mane and tail, and a Cutie Mark that showed a cloud raining sweets.

"Sweet Storm!" Pinkie exclaimed with joy.

"Pinkie Pie!" the Changeling shouted back, throwing them both into a big hug while still in disguise. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too! It's been forever!" She exclaimed happily.

"Too true," Sweet Storm remarked, then took a good look at Pinkie. "Wow, look at you. The monarch of your own hive." She noticed Chuck and his children and chuckled. "And then some from the looks of it."

"My name is Prestigious Preston Pipper the third. Charmed I'm sure," Sterling grinned, donning a posh dialect.

"Sterling," Chuck said impatiently.

Sweet Storm giggled. "Nice try, Sterling. But I will admit that did make me laugh."

"Congrats on comedy!" TD- the real TD- called from a distance.

"Don't encourage him," Chuck said tiredly. "Or her." He pointed to Sterling's twin, Sweet Tooth.

"Would you like to make a donation to an unspecified charity?" Sweet Tooth asked Sweet Storm in a kind, innocent voice, holding up a tin can.

"Aww, I would," Sweet Storm replied just as innocently, "But Changelings don't usually have money with them."

"Dang it!" a nearby Changeling from Thorax's hive cursed. "Well, so much for that idea."

"That charity was her wallet anyway, don't let her fool you," Chuck said flatly. "My apologies for them. Sugar Plum turned out fine, I promise."

"I mean, I need glasses to see, but that was a birth thing," Sugar Plum said.

"They're fine by my standards," Sweet Storm replied reassuringly. "Believe me, some of my own Changelings are far worse in behavior."

"Speaking of behavior," TD said mysteriously, looking in the direction of the Castle of Friendship. A crash was heard from there and a few screeches of terror. TD just laughed.

"R.I.P, boys!" he shouted, as a few Changeling figures rushed out of the Castle in a fright.

"By the extra arms on Vishnu, what are you doing?" Chuck asked.

"Forget it Dad, it's Chinatown," Sterling said ominously.

"Nice reference to a show I don't know," TD commented. "I'm gonna see the newlyweds off if that's alright with you."

"I need to see this tight suit off," Sterling remarked at his uncomfortable suit.

"Hey Joy!" TD called over to the human, "Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what's up?" Joy replied as he looked towards him. TD gave him a questioning look. It didn't seem like whatever he was asking about was potentially life-threatening, but he still had a concerned expression.

"Have you, by any chance, seen another human in your Equestria lately?" he asked. "Particularly during the late hours of the night?"

TD gave him a questioning look. It didn't seem like whatever he was asking about was potentially life-threatening, but he still had a concerned expression.

"Have you, by any chance, seen another human in your Equestria lately?" he asked. "Particularly during the late hours of the night?"

"Hmm..." Joy made a thoughtful expression "No but... we heard some rumors about a human being seen in Canterlot." Then Joy made a little doubtful look and said "Why did you ask?"

"Do you know something about that?" Bubble added. TD smiled and chuckled lightly to himself.

"It just might be him," he said to himself, then to Joy and Bubble, "Do these same rumors say that the human fights crime during the night?"

"Kind of..." Bubble answered. "Yes, they said that's what he does."

TD smiled. "Can't help yourself, can you Kapila?" he said to no one in particular. "Always have to do some kind of vigilante work."

"Who the hay is the Kapila?" Joy asked with a curious smile. "Any of your friends we don't know about?"

"Yes and no," TD explained. "He's also my original evil personality gone rogue. And by 'gone rogue', I mean that he separated from me like Red and Bill did hundreds of years ago."

"So, if he's evil... then why he's fighting crimes?" Bubble asked.

"Pretty twisted to me," Joy stated.

"Didn't you listen to Red at all?" TD asked them teasingly, then more serious, "When they separated from me, they became capable of changing their personality. In other words, Bill is the good personality, but he is now capable of turning evil. Diego Kapila is no exception. He was originally the evil personality, but over time he's been permitted a change of heart." He smiled reassuringly. "I wouldn't worry about him. As admittedly twisted as it sounds, he's on our side."

"That's a relief." Bubble giggled to herself as Joy smiled a little.

"Even if he wasn't, he's too obligated to his friends to try anything," TD stated. "Just like Red. Red may technically be on no one's side, but when it comes to friends and family, he'll stand by your side to the end. Diego is similar in that regard."

"That means he's a nice person, right?" Sunny said almost suddenly.

"Of course!" TD replied, then grew a bit solemn. "But much like myself, he carries a history of pain and loss. One that still haunts him at times to this day."

"Well, we feel bad him... but I think we don't wish to know his origins," Bubble stated.

"I guess you're right Bubs," Joy reassured.

"Well, knowing how things tend to work, Red or Diego himself will tell you themselves eventually," TD noted. "They tend to do that."

"And yet you do it yourself and expect not to be criticized for it," Twilight argued with him. TD shrugged.

"She's got me there. Call me hypocritical."

Joy rolled his eyes and then looked towards TD again. "Anyways, my dear friends," he said, trying to change the topic, "Congratulations once again!"

"Yeah, congratulations!" Bubble responded with glee. "That was one of the best ceremonies we've ever been to."

"Glad you liked it," TD said with a smile. "Although, if you want to congratulate the newlyweds, you may want to do so now. I have a hunch their ride is here."

TD either had very good timing or he simply had planned it from the start, because immediately a carriage appeared from a distance with the words "Just married!" written on the back and sides. Everyone was making way so the couple could reach the carriage without much trouble. Discord and Fluttershy looked to TD with a smirk as if to say that they knew what he had done.

"William, you sly old fox!" Celestia giggled.

"Correction, Bill is the sly old fox," TD stated with a teasing smile. "I'm just cheeky."

Joy, Bubble, and their foals made their ways towards the newlyweds to congratulate them on this beautiful occasion.

"Congratulations you lovebirds," Joy said with a grin.

"Thank you," Screwball replied. "Well, I guess this starts a new chapter in our life."

"Especially for me," Tracker added. "I never thought I'd get anywhere in life after I turned." He looked to Screwball and gave her a short hug. "I'm so glad I was wrong."

"Hooves where I can see them, young colt!" Discord called teasingly. "Save it for the honeymoon!"

"Discord!" Fluttershy shouted at him, but she was smiling too. Celestia and Luna from Joy's Equestria giggled a little at Discord's reaction. Especially since Celestia somewhat understood why Discord was being that over-protective of his daughter.

"It's alright Discord," Luna said. "They aren't foals anymore."

"Maybe," he sighed. "But... in my eyes, she'll always be daddy's little filly."

"Awww..." Screwball managed and quickly rushed over to give her parents a hug. Tracker waited for only a second longer before he headed over to the Sparkles and brought them into a group hug of their own.

"Gosh darn it, Discord!" TD complained tearfully. "You're making me cry again." He then submitted and let the tears freely fall. "Oh... who cares? Let them fall for this occasion."

Joy and the Bubble smiled warmly as they saw these beautiful and memorable moments. Sunny and Bold were also watching them in awe.

"Wasn't that an amazing wedding or what?" Sunny asked.

"Totally," Bold reassured with a smile.

"Alright, let me compose myself," TD said after being released from the hug. He wiped his tears for a bit, then pulled out a megaphone and called into it.

"The carriage is leaving soon everyone! Please keep a reasonable distance from the carriage at all times. Anyone who violates this rule will have to take it up to the fire snake with the German accent! Wade, I'm talking to you."

"That's not my name!" the Changeling in question complained.

"Again, don't care," TD replied.

"Same old TD," Bubble muttered with a grin.

"I'm surprised he hasn't been murdered in his own world already," Rarity stated. "I mean, he's worst than Discord sometimes."

"I heard that!" Discord and TD shouted at once. Unfortunately, TD had still been using the megaphone when he shouted, so everyone save for Screwball, Tracker, and Discord suddenly had a bad case of ringing ears. The latter had earplugs appear in their ears just in time.

"I regret doing that now," TD said in a softer tone, although it was obvious he was trying his best to keep his voice down so as not to cause it to happen again.

"That's... alright," Joy said.

"Thank goodness Zach gave the warning," Tracker chuckled as the earplugs disappeared.

"But he could've at least helped himself in the process," Screwball pointed out.

"I barely even had time to relay the message," the pegasus in question complained, rubbing one of his ears with his wing.

"William... please don't do that again," Twilight said with a bit of annoyance in her tone.

"Agreed," TD replied, "I almost blew my brain out my ear."

"Really?" Bubble remarked in a sarcastic manner, still rubbing her ears. "Your brain?"

"You'd be surprised," Diana mentioned.

"Guys!" Screwball called, catching their attentions. "I... don't mean to sound rude, but... we're kinda in the middle of something."

She gestured to the carriage when she said this.

"Oh... whoops!" TD chuckled nervously. "Uh... none of this ever happened. Please say your goodbyes to the newlyweds as normal."

"Oh right," Joy said nervously.

"Sorry," Bubble sheepishly replied as the family went towards the newlyweds.

"Screwball, Tracker," She said as she looked to both of them. "May your new life be filled with joys and happiness. I wish you the best of luck."

"This is the start of a new chapter in your story, and we're all glad to be here for both of you," Joy added.

"Congratulations my little ponies," Joy's mother said to the newlyweds as his aunt Luna reassured with a nod.

"Thanks guys," Screwball replied, then she teared up a bit. "I'm... really gonna miss you... again."

"As will I," Tracker added, his blood-like tears forming as well.

"And we will miss you both as well." Joy replied, as Bubble wiped a few tears from her eyes as well.

"Awe!" Sunny and Bold said in unison.

"I too will miss you guys so much," Sunny answered.

"Group hug?" Screwball suggested. "You too Dad, Mom, and the Sparkles."

"I'm gonna cray again," TD sniffed as he approached with Twilight and Screwball's parents, Zach and Diana close behind.

"Sure!" Joy exclaimed, as he and his family also approached the newlywed couple along with them for a big group hug. They stayed in the hug for a few moments, then the newlyweds entered the carriage. In a blast of confetti, the carriage disappeared. Unfortunately, in its place, was a swirling portal that Joy and his family were all too familiar with.

"Seriously?" TD said to the portal as if it could speak, "You have the worst timing I've ever seen before."

Joy and his family looked towards the portal and then towards TD. Before a word could be spoken, another human figure appeared from the portal, looking around with a look of confusion. He looked odd to see. Joy noticed that much like TD, his skin was fair and his eyes were blue. A tuff of brown hair could be seen on his head and a hint of mischievousness could be seen in his eyes, which held similarity to TD's eyes. However, other than the face itself, this human had a few differences. He didn't have a beard, but was cleanshaven. He was dressed in what seemed to be formal attire, yet also built for combat. A cape was attached to his attire and he wore two bracelets on his wrists. The one on his left arm was reddish-grey in color, but the one on his right arm was a yellow color and seemed to be a female's bracelet instead of a male's. On the cape was a symbol: a disco ball surrounded by human and humanoid figures. The human took a few moments, then spoke.

"I picked a bad time to appear, didn't I?" he asked sheepishly. TD shook his head in amusement.

"Diego!" a chorus of voices called out as Starlight and the Elements rushed over to him. The human smiled and got on his knees with his arms outstretched as the seven ponies brought him into a group hug.

"Oh, I get it. This is the human you were asking about," Bubble said to TD. "Kapila? I guess."

"Please, call me Diego," the human said with a smile, standing to full height after the hug had ended. He was a bit taller than TD. "I'm sure TD has probably told you about me by now. Including which personality I am." He chuckled. "He's cheeky that way."

"And you're not?" TD asked sarcastically, giggling a bit.

"Nice to meet you, Diego," Joy said with a smile and doing a handshake with the entity.

"Likewise," Diego replied with a smile. "I hate to break this to you, but the reason I'm here is because you were scheduled to return an hour ago. I thought something was wrong, so here I am."

"I delayed the portal, Diego," TD explained. "We wanted them to see Screwball and Tracker's wedding, as they were invited."

"That... makes sense," the human agreed. He then looked at the portal. "Well... I can give you time to say goodbye at least."

"Thanks," TD said. "You know, for an 'evil' personality, you're turning out soft."

"Don't push it," Diego warned jokingly.

"Alright," Joy said looking towards TD and then towards his family "Looks like, it's time for goodbye now."

"Already?!" Sunny spoke. "It's too early Dad!"

"Goodbyes always do feel early," Twilight agreed with a nod. TD kneeled down to look at Sunny.

"Hey, you'll see us again," he said with confidence. "I wouldn't miss seeing you and your brother grow up for the world, and I'm sure you'd like to see this old coot again too." He then got a little thoughtful. "I know a song I could sing to you, one that you may keep to remember me if you'd like."

"Really?" Sunny asked with the cutest expression she could make. "I love songs."

"Me too," Bold said with a huge smile.

"Okay..." TD said, then he began:

 _You've got a friend in me  
_ _You've got a friend in me  
_ _When the road looks rough ahead  
_ _And you're miles and miles  
_ _From your nice warm bed  
_ _You just remember what your old pal said  
_ _Boy, you've got a friend in me_

 _Yeah, you've got a friend in me_

 _You've got a friend in me  
_ _You've got a friend in me  
You've got troubles, I've got 'em too  
_ _There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you  
_ _We stick together and can see it through  
_ _Cause you've got a friend in me_

 _You've got a friend in me_

 _Some other folks might be_  
 _A little bit smarter than I am_  
 _Bigger and stronger too_

 _Maybe_

 _But none of them will ever love you_  
 _The way I do, it's me and you, boy_  
 _And as the years go by_  
 _Our friendship will never die_  
 _You're gonna see it's our destiny_

 _You've got a friend in me_  
 _You've got a friend in me_

 _You've got a friend in me_

"Well, what do you think?" he asked afterwards.

"I loved this very very much." Sunny said making a gesture with her hooves.

"That was lovely," Bold agreed. Joy, Bubble, Celestia, and Luna came towards the foal as they looked towards the portal.

"Well," TD mentioned, standing up again, "I guess this is goodbye for now." He looked to Celestia and Luna. "Tia, Lulu, take care in your world." He then added to Luna, "You don't mind if I call _you_ that, do ya?"

"Huh," Luna answered. "I think that's fine."

"Good." TD then turned to Joy and Bubble. "Goodbye again, my dear friends. I'll see you again someday... I promise."

"Goodbye William," said Joy. "Until next time."

"Goodbye," Bubble added.

"Bye Bye," Sunny and Bold spoke together.

"Fairwell William," Luna said.

"We hope to see you soon," Celestia added.

"Cya next time, Equestria!" Diego shouted as they rushed through the portal. "Kapila out!"

The portal closed up once more, even as the others waved goodbye once again.

"So long, apprentice," TD said in an almost inaudible voice. In all truth, he was going to miss Joy more than any other-worldly friends he had made before. For he felt a bit of pride in knowing that he had personally trained him in many different ways as well as kept his universe safe.

Hence the reason his eyes started to tear up when he was gone...

* * *

 **YAY! I did it! Finally!**

 **Next chapter, I'll be submitting rather quickly on top of this one. So, cya then!**


	38. Changeling Gathering

**I did this chapter as an excuse to introduce some other Changeling species. Most are of my own idea, but others (one or two) I copied from another fanfic on the site.**

 **Credit to the other Changeling race(s) that are not my own goes to _Dakingace_ from the story "Forever a Changeling." Pinkie and Chuck's hive, while the hive idea was mine, their species (especially Pinkie's appearance) are from a different story that I covered (in regards to copyright) in the chapter "Pinkie Pie's Secret".**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Excuse me!" Zach's voice echoed through the halls of the Changeling hive, "Uncle Chuck?"

"Shh!" a nearby Changeling whispered, "The larvae are asleep."

"Sorry," Zach whispered back, then continued down the corridors of the hive until he came to where the Pie family's living quarters were. "Delivery."

"What of?" the Changeling monarch asked.

"I'm not sure," the dragon-eyed pegasus admitted, showing Chuck an envelope. "It just says, 'To the monarchs of the late Queen Cocoon's hive.' I didn't bother to open it."

"Probably for the best," Chuck remarked. "You think this is more of a Pinkie thing? I mean, it's referring to HER mom."

"Hey, I'm just the delivery boy," Zach shrugged, "I don't necessarily need to know what I'm delivering or for what reason. Besides, it's addressed to both of you."

"You already delivered the letter, I don't need a delivery of attitude." The monarch remarked. "Anyhow, thanks. Pinkie and I will have to give this a read."

Zach nodded and started out of the hive, but then stopped for a moment and turned back.

"You wouldn't happen to have change on you, would ya?" he teased, giving a mischievous glance to the monarch.

"I'm not tipping you for delivering a letter," Chuck replied flatly.

"Worth a shot," Zach chuckled. "Later Uncle Chuck!"

With a glow of his wings and a cloud of feathers, the pegasus disappeared completely.

"You maybe should've tipped him, just to see his reaction," Cindy's voice spoke behind Chuck, the robotic suit trotting out behind him. Apparently, Cindy had put the suit into auto-pilot, allowing her to control its every motion without an occupant.

"I know, I would have finally gotten rid of my wooden nickels. You're right, I should have tipped him." He chuckled, then noticed his daughter, Sweet Tooth. "Hey, Sweet Tooth, where's your mother?"

"I think she's getting her hoofi pedi with Sterling," She replied.

"That's right, it is Tuesday," Chuck remarked.

"Well, what does the letter say, sir?" Cindy asked, "I'm a bit curious, which I'd say is odd for AIs to feel if Red wasn't a genius at his craft... most of the time."

"Did he build you with a diagnostic program to kiss up to him?" Chuck asked. "But yes, I want to know too." He remarked.

"Know what?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"What's in this letter, to the 'monarchs of the late Queen Cocoon's hive'. Which is your mother and I," Chuck said. "What the hay? I'll open it." He shrugged, opening up the envelope and pulling out the letter.

"Dear Monarchs," he read, "We request your presence and the presence of your Royal family at the Changeling gathering of this century. The gathering is in regards to some rising concerns among other hives and we wish to resolve these matters as swiftly as possible. As we know your hive is relatively peaceful compared to others, we wish for your input on the matter. The gathering is scheduled tomorrow roughly at noon. Due to the rotational pattern we've chosen, it shall be held at the local hive of King Thorax. Expect a small crowd.

"Sincerely, The Changeling Council."

"There's a council?" Chuck asked. "Oh, good, I've been summoned to a UN meeting."

"UN meetings are a real pain sometimes, aren't they?" Cindy remarked to Chuck's response to the note. "So, are you going?"

"I mean, I have to, don't I? Well, Pinkie and I have to," He replied.

"But is said 'your royal family' was requested too," Cindy noted, "And your children would most definitely count as being part of the Royal Family if you ask me."

"Oh..." He remarked. "I'VE GOTTA BRING MY KIDS!?" He exclaimed.

"Bring your kids where?" Pinkie asked as she and Sterling walked in.

"Are we going to Disney World?" Sterling asked.

"If we were going to Disney World, I doubt your father would be as shocked," Cindy stated bluntly, "No. You and the rest of your family, the Royal Family specifically, are requested to appear at a Changeling gathering at your friend Thorax's hive." The suit made a motion with its head that made it look almost like Cindy was rolling her eyes. "Hence the reason for his outburst."

"A Changeling gathering?" Pinkie asked. "You mean, like a meeting?"

"Yes, a long, boring, meeting." Chuck nodded. "With our kids." He said, pointing to Sweet Tooth and Sterling, Sweet Tooth encouraging Sterling as he tried to fit as many grapes in his mouth as he could.

"How anyone is able to fit that many fruits in their mouth is beyond me," Cindy remarked with a sigh. It was a bit strange hearing an AI's voice sighing, but if anyone could pull it off, it was Cindy.

"That's not the point, the point is I can bite my tongue and fold my legs when needed. YOU have even learned that skill," Chuck pointed to Pinkie. "But our kids? They operate fine on their own... well, save for Sterling. But all of them together? They set each other off, like bombs of immaturity."

"I highly doubt that they go off like immaturity bombs," Cindy stated bluntly, "I should know, considering that I've seen them in action."

How does that even work?! I'm the one writing it and even _I_ don't know. And I'm the author for Pete's sake!

"Right. Look, should they really even go?" Chuck asked. "Sugar Plum-"

"You aren't about to say she's not technically part of the family because she's adopted, are you?" Pinkie asked.

"What?" Chuck asked. "No! I'm saying Sugar Plum and Sterling are ponies, this is a Changeling gathering." He explained.

"Well, I agree that it sounds a bit complicated," the AI replied, the suit now looking over at the letter as if it was another pony that could read. "It simply says 'the royal family' which sounds pretty vague to me. So I can understand the confusion there."

You're an AI... why are you this thoughtful, let alone capable of such ways of thinking?

"Because you decided to make me this way."

Good point- wait! Oh... of course she can do that...

"Would you prefer me to be in costume?"

Chuck cupped his face in his hooves and sighed. He then looked over at his three kids and put on a façade of a grin.

"Well kids, what do you say? Want to go to a delegate meeting?"

"Yuh dem rye I oo!" Sterling replied, incomprehensible due to there being 38 grapes in his mouth.

"I think he said yes," Sugar Plum said.

Cindy sighed again. "I assume that I'll be coming along as well? Unless you'd prefer to have me guard the hive?"

"Guard the hive? There's more than a thousand plus Changelings doing that already," a voice spoke up a little loudly, then quickly followed by the same voice saying, "Oops!"

The suit looked upwards at the ceiling, then it's visor glowed red for a second, perhaps to signal Cindy was angry.

"Zachary Chaotix Sparkle, were you spying on us?" she demanded to the pegasus on the ceiling. Zach made a face, clearly not liking it when his full name was used.

"No, I just happened to appear on the ceiling at the worst possible timing," the pegasus replied sarcastically.

"Now I'm just absolutely sure you could think of better things to do than eavesdrop on my family's conversation." Chuck said impatiently.

"Dad," Sugar Plum said, just as impatiently to Chuck.

"Okay, I'll admit, that was a bad call," Zach said, turning right side up and floating to the ground. "But the reason I came back was to retrieve something Diana left here last time she visited."

"And you didn't think to maybe knock?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"You are just like your father," Pinkie remarked, whether that was good or bad is uncertain.

"I don't know," Cindy defended the pegasus, the suit's visor returning to a blue color. "He hasn't attacked any dimensions, subjugated anyone under his rule, or purposely used his powers with the intention of-"

"Okay, we get it," Zach cut her off. "Dad's done some pretty bad stuff. But back to why I'm here." He looked to Sugar Plum. "Did you see Diana's locket around the place? It's the one with her parents on the inside."

"I think it was in the den last I saw it," Sterling said.

"No offense, but he doesn't sound like a credible source of intel," Cindy remarked.

"You have any other suggestions then?" Zach asked. When the AI didn't answer, he disappeared in a flash of light, then reappeared shortly with the locket in question in one of his front hooves.

"Thankfully, it's still in one piece," he noted. "She'd freak if it got damaged."

"I resent that remark," Sterling stated.

"I resent that you're technically the older brother," Sweet Tooth stated.

"Hey!" He remarked.

"Ladies, you're both beautiful," Zach said in a clearly sarcastic manner, simply to catch their attention.

"Is there anything else you forgot here Zachary?" Chuck asked flatly.

"Not unless my potion collection has a mind of its own," Zach replied, a bit dramatically. "But don't expect this to be the last you see of me. Come tomorrow, I foretell that you shall see me at the hive, possibly running errands."

"I foretell that to be a complete bluff," the AI stated, "And must you be so dramatic?"

"No, but it makes it feel more fun than just a simple hit-and-run, if you catch my meaning," the pegasus answered, giving a mischievous smile when he spoke.

"Tomorrow we'll be in that other hive anyway," Chuck stated. "Unless you mean you'll be at Thorax's hive."

"That's what I meant," Zach replied. He then looked around and chuckled. "Well, I can't do any more damage to this place. Bye!"

With a wink directed at Sugar Plum and a glow of his wings, the pegasus was gone. This time, it was hoped he'd be gone for the remainder of the conversation.

"I call his bluff on the 'foreseeing' part," Cindy said when he was gone, "How could he know anything about tomorrow?"

"It's better not to ask." Chuck remarked. "You all should start packing." He instructed.

"Road trip!" Cindy shouted, earning a few looks. "What? I've always wanted to say that."

* * *

"That is a LOT of Royal Changelings," Cindy commented the next day upon seeing the small swarm of Royals that were approaching  
Thorax's hive.

"I guarantee I'm going to hate everyone here," Sweet Tooth remarked.

"That's the spirit sweetheart," Chuck stated.

"Well, I hope you don't mean that," a voice said from nearby, "Otherwise, I came to this meeting only to be hated by the daughter of one of my friends."

At first glance, other than Thorax's own Changelings in the general area, there was no one to be seen.

Until Cindy said bluntly, "Rock beside us."

"Cheater!" the rock said playfully, then a burst of dark blue flames enveloped it, revealing a purple Changeling monarch. She was a bit taller than Chuck or Pinkie, and her wings were very much like dragonfly wings.

"Present company excluded." Chuck nudged his daughter. "Hello Sweet Storm."

"Hi Sweet Storm!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Good to see you again, my friends," Sweet Storm greeted. "So, you've been summoned to this boring show as well?"

"Evidently," Sugar Plum nodded.

"Well, at least they decided to hold it here," another voice remarked as Thorax dropped in on the conversation. "I wouldn't have been able to have come if they required me to go elsewhere."

"At least my hive has cable," Chuck hummed.

Thorax chuckled. "Ever since TD moved into your area for good, the weirdest of things have happened there." He then gestured to one tunnel in his hive that seemed to lead to a large cavern. "They're all in there. I'll be honest with you... I'm a bit scared. This is my first time at these things."

"With any luck, it'll be our last," Chuck stated.

"What's that mean?" Pinkie asked.

"We either solve everything today, or something kills us before the next one," Chuck stated.

"Must you always be so negative sir?" Cindy asked him, sounding a bit annoyed.

"I'm normally a positive guy." (Liar) "I just hate delegate crap. Politics ruined the Star Wars franchise and it's gonna ruin my life now."

Just then, a loud trumpeting sound was heard, and a familiar form walked out of the room and shouted out, "All hive Royal Families, report to the meeting room! The debates are about to begin!"

Cindy made the suit look in the direction of the speaker, then stared at him.

"No. Freaking. Way," she muttered. Zach simply gave a cheeky smile.

"I foretold you so," he said, trying not to laugh at the AI's surprise.

"Excuse me, someone of no Changeling royalness whatsoever here. Anyone gonna say something?" Chuck spoke up, getting a nudge from his wife.

"He's here for a different reason," Sweet Storm stated as she started to walk past him. She turned and gave them a bit of a worried look. "Trust me when I say this, you're probably not gonna like it when he's brought into the picture."

"I think I will. It'll be boring if everyone agrees on everything, I wanna see some rough housing!" The Changeling monarch cheered, earning looks from other royalties.

"Just go inside before I'm forced to protect you from an angry family," Cindy snorted, following suit.

"Good luck in there," Zach said as they passed by, "And please... don't do anything rash."

"We won't!" Pinkie smiled, then turned to her husband. "Will we?" She asked, authoritatively.

"We won't." Chuck mumbled.

Inside, the room consisted of several other Changeling families. There was usually only one or two Royal Changelings for each species represented, although Chuck did see one Royal family that consisted of a queen and at least seven others beside her. Each species was either a different color and/or had a certain characteristic to them that made them stand out. The only problem was the smell. Since other Changelings gave off different pheromones and they were all gathered in the same room, it made the place smell rather... odd.

"We stick out like a sore hoof," Chuck mumbled to his wife, pointing to their pony children.

"What's that smell? Somebody forgot deodorant," Sterling remarked.

"I'm surprised you can smell it at all," Cindy stated, "It's supposed to only be detectable by Changelings."

"Shh!" a Changeling monarch shushed the suit. She looked very much like Chrysalis, but pink in color and with a much shorter mane that was a blonde color. "I'm trying to listen so I know when they're coming."

"Easy Blondie," Chuck remarked to her. "You don't want to get on her bad side."

The monarch wisely didn't answer, but simply stared ahead as a pair of older Changelings stepped forward in front of the group, along with a large group of drones. The drones each all seemed to belong to different species, and Chuck even noticed one of them looked like it belonged with his hive as well as a Changeling that apparently never reformed from Thorax's hive. However, unlike the Changelings gathered together, these newcomers all looked old and wrinkled, which was an odd feature for a Changeling to possess.

"Hey, you know a little more about Changelings than I do. Changelings don't normally look like lemons left out in the sun like that, right?" Chuck asked Pinkie quietly.

"They don't... even Dad looked pretty young when he died. Weird!" Pinkie remarked.

The wrinkled Changeling Monarchs raised their hooves and a silence fell upon the room. Then the male monarch spoke in a voice that seemed to give off an ancient air to him.

"Greetings to all of you present today," he said politely, "As I may expect, you all are probably wondering why we have called this meeting, as well as who we are to the newcomers of this council."

He seemed to look over at Thorax and Chuck at the last part.

"An explanation would be nice." Chuck nodded. "Uh... sir."

"They look like Yoda," Sterling whispered.

"I mean, they do, but be quiet," Chuck nudged him.

The monarch said nothing, but instead the female next to him continued.

"Recently, some of the hives have questioned the relationships of the ponies, as well as whom they are allied with," she replied. At the chorus of agreements (along with some disagreements), she raised a hoof for silence and continued. "Now, we are aware that some of you present are good friends with the pony race, whether through friendships made with certain individuals or otherwise by your nature. Would the hive monarchs in either or both categories please identify themselves?"

Sweet Storm, Thorax, and the pink monarch from before stood to their feet, while some of the others looked to Chuck and Pinkie expectantly.

"That'd... that'd be us." Chuck nodded as his family stood up. "Um... well, I was born a... not a Changeling. We'll leave that at that. Our children, well, Sugar Plum, our eldest is adopted. And Sterling and Sugar Plum are a product of, well, y'know,...lovers doin' what lovers do," he chuckled nervously. "And one was born a Changeling, the other was not." He stated.

The monarchs didn't comment on that, but simply said, "We are aware that you were not a Changeling before, Mr. Pie. This is hardly the first time we've had this occur. Your queen's mother (may she rest in peace) was, as you may know, not a Changeling herself before she ascended to the throne. And any of your children, adopted or not, are not going to be scrutinized over their origins. As far as we are concerned, they are as much a part of your royal family as any of the other Royal Changelings here."

"Well, then it makes me being pointed out a little redundant, huh?" Chuck remarked with a laugh. "I mean... thanks."

The monarchs around him gave him a few strange looks, but the elder ones at the front seemed to be a bit amused. Then they announced, "Will the offended please step forward?"

Several other hive monarchs stood to their feet, some looking rather angry. The elders nodded, then asked, "What is it you hold against the pony race?"

"They blamed us for the attack on Canterlot," one female monarch stated. She was a yellow color with a blue mane and had two claws instead of front hooves. "Our hives suffered for Chrysalis's foolish actions."

"Very funny, coming from the one who supported her suggestion," the queen of the large royal family remarked. She was a brown color with a green mane and looked somewhat like a younger, much kinder version of Chrysalis. "You agreed to the attack, even if your hive did not participate in it."

"She has a point there," Cindy whispered to Chuck. She had gone into a low power mode so as not to disturb the meeting. As such, it almost looked like she had powered down the suit entirely.

"I mean, Changelings... DID attack Canterlot, I mean, maybe not you guys, but I mean..." Chuck began.

"Can of worms, Chuck. Can of worms..." Pinkie warned him.

"Your hive did indeed take the blame for an action they did not commit," the Elder male agreed, speaking to the yellow monarch. "However, it was not without some justification. Ponies usually cannot tell between some of our hives, and they can often be... overzealous in their decisions. Hence for why we are here, to find a solution to what is bugging us. No pun intended."

The female spoke next. "All in favor of staying in the favors of the ponykind, will the monarchs please raise their hooves- or other appendages?"

Sweet Storm, Aspvia and Thorax raised their hooves almost immediately, while a few other monarchs were a bit slower to respond. All along the line, the elders questioned each monarch for why they made their decision. Eventually, it came to Chuck and Pinkie.

"Queen Pill Bug and..." the elders gave a pause. "Actually, how would you two prefer to be announced?"

"Umm... call me Chuck," Chuck stammered awkwardly.

"Pill Bug works fine," Pinkie nodded. They nodded, then continued.

"Pill Bug and Chuck, for what reasons does your hive consent to remain in the favors of ponykind?" they asked.

"A plethora of reasons really," Chuck said.

"I mean, I was raised by ponies, my best friends are ponies," Pinkie stated.

"I was a pony for years before I became a Changeling," Chuck added.

"Two of our three foals are ponies," Pinkie added.

"Oh, and not to mention my employees were all ponies when I ran that bar," Chuck added.

"I mean, really, we have more reasons to be in favors of ponykind than favors of Changelings," Sterling said.

"Quiet Dorkus," Sweet Tooth punched him. The elders nodded, then announced again, "Whoever is against ponykind, please make your votes clear now."

The yellow one and a few others raised their hooves, but from the looks of it, they were outnumbered in votes.

"The vote stays in favor of the ponies," the female elder noted. "Now, we have a more personal matter to discuss. Will someone please send for the pegasus Zachary?"

One of the wrinkled drones near the elders nodded and made his way outside the room in search of said entity.

"Personal matter?" Sterling asked. " What personal matters?"

"We'll see hon," Pinkie told him. Soon, the green and blue pegasus was ushered inside and a silence fell upon the room, almost as tense as someone pulling back on a bowstring. Around the room, Chuck could sense a flurry of mixed emotions from the other Changelings. Some were confused, some were angered to see him, and still others seemed to regard him with... fear. Zach either didn't notice any of this or he simply didn't care as he trotted before the elder monarchs.

"You called?" he asked. Chuck could sense that he himself was a bit unsure of what was going on.

"What do you think's about to happen?" Sweet Tooth asked quietly.

"Nothing pretty, considering they have like, one of the most powerful things on God's green earth here to referee," Chuck remarked. "I wish this could go back to being boring instead of stressful."

The Elder monarchs looked to Zach and spoke, cutting through the silence.

"Zachary Sparkle," the male monarch began, but paused for a second as the female whispered in his ear then let him speak again. "My apologies. Zach, you are an odd creature here in Equestria, born from two of the most powerful forms of magic that can be found and their respective bearers. Unfortunately, this reputation has granted you almost as many enemies as it has given you friends."

"I'm sorry, is he being put on trial?" Cindy asked, the suit still in a low-power mode.

"Hold on, let's see where he goes with this," Chuck told the suit before getting looks from the other members of his family. "Buuut be ready to intervene if Phyllis Diller up there goes to far. Get it? Because Phyllis Diller is old and looks like a bug? Heyo!"

"Isn't she dead dad?" Sweet Tooth asked.

"I mean, yeah. But up until 2012, she looked like a bug," He replied. The elder apparently didn't hear the Pies and continued to speak to Zach.

"Do you realize what your parents have done to Changelings in the past?" the elder asked Zach.

"I am well aware of the... offenses they may have caused to your kind," Zach replied with a nod.

"Good," the female elder said with a nod, "We do not hold such offenses against you or your family, as we understand they had their own reasons to act. But now, I must ask you something that regards the newest Royal Family here." She gestured to the Pies when she spoke.

"Alright," Zach said, his eyes glowing slightly brighter upon hearing these words. "Shoot."

"You say one wrong thing and you're as good as school glue kiddo," Chuck mouthed.

"You know when you mouth things you're supposed to not whisper them too, right?" Pinkie asked, having heard him.

 _"I can hear you,"_ Zach's voice said to them both telepathically. _"And now is not the time."_

"Zach," the elder monarch asked him, "Are you aware of the Changeling mating laws?"

Zach raised an eyebrow before answering, "Not exactly. Uncle Chuck and Pinkie couldn't help me there either, due to being relatively new at the experience themselves. Why do you ask?"

The elder gave a look that seemed to be in-between amusement and seriousness. "You share a rather... interesting bond with one of the Royal Family members of your uncle's hive. Under normal circumstances, this would make you next in line to take the throne should the current monarchs pass away."

"Oh..." Zach's face turned a slight crimson color. "I never thought of it that way."

"However, as neither you nor your special one are Changelings by blood, these circumstances are not ordinary," the elder continued. "Therefore, we must have a bit of a debate, for lack of a better explanation, between yourself and the hive in question."

"There had better not have been any 'mating' prior to this meeting," Chuck said sternly to Sugar Plum.

"Dad," She protested, flushing red with embarrassment.

"Would you please come up to the front, Chuck?" the female elder asked. "And bring Sugar Plum with you."

"Slagtacular." The king muttered. "C'mon sweetheart." He said, leading his daughter along.

The elders looked to Chuck and said, "Because your daughter is not related to you by blood (no offense intended) nor is she or her special one a Changeling, we shall make an official declaration before all the hives gathered here today. But first, we must ask each of you a few questions. Please answer them honestly."

"I'll answer them to the best of my ability," Chuck nodded.

"Good, then we'll start," the male Elder remarked, before asking the first question. "Do you accept and love your daughter, and accept her as part of your family as well as a member of your hive?"

"Skidoy," Chuck stated. "I mean, yes." He nodded.

"Do you approve her... relationship with Zachary?" the elder questioned further.

"I approve more than my wife's adopted father approved of me, so I mean... yeah," He nodded.

The elder nodded. "I have no further questions for you." Then the female elder spoke to Sugar Plum.

"When did you first meet Zachary?" she asked. "And how old would you say you were at the time?"

"It was at a party my parents were throwing. I was around five years old," Sugar Plum answered.

"What was your first impression of him?" the elder asked. "If you need specifics, what did you think of him at first?"

"I thought he was nice," Sugar Plum replied. "He was pretty much the first friend I actually made."

"Was that when the spark between you occurred, or did it take more time before you were both aware?" the elder questioned, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"That's awfully personal, don't you think?" Chuck intervened.

"Dad," Sugar Plum cut him off. "Well, I don't really know." She stated.

"Mhm..." the elder nodded, then her mate explained, "Forgive us if we seem a bit personal, but this is merely for the sake of being official. The original idea behind this was so the other hives would know what kind of... ponies or Changelings you are."

"We have only one more... personal question to ask you, but you do not have to answer if you wish," the female added.

"I'll answer it." Sugar Plum nodded.

"Very well..." the female paused to take a breath. "If you had to make a tough decision regarding your family and your special one, who would you choose?"

Sugar Plum thought for a moment,this was a difficult question to answer. She bit her lip and looked at her dad, then Zach, then up at the rest of her family. She wasn't sure what to say. "Well..." She began. "I..." She stammered.

"I've always hated asking this question," the female elder remarked to her mate.

"So have I," he answered.

"Oh boy..." Cindy remarked to Pinkie, the suit showing slightly more life in it now. "I've only seen this before in very dramatic stories... that and over the story of Applejack's parents." A sigh emitted from the suit. "I've always hated how hard the choice is..."

"My mother and father gave me a home when I thought for sure nopony would... and ever since they came along, Sweet Tooth and Sterling have been... well, whether I wanted them to be or not, my closest friends. Without them, I wouldn't even be where I am now..." Sugar Plum said. "I... I guess I'd have to say, with them."

Zach, thankfully, was silent when he heard that and he gave her a small nod, even a supportive smile.

 _"I understand,"_ his voice said to her telepathically, _"I wouldn't want to choose against my family either."_

"I certainly wouldn't have chosen like you." Chuck said to his daughter. "In fact, I'm here because I chose against them. But that's different for so many reasons."

The elders nodded in approval, then they turned to Zach.

"What compelled you to go to the party where you and Sugar Plum met?" they asked him.

"Several," he answered. "Mom and Dad wanted me to meet some of their old friends from another world. Also, my cousin Flurry Heart was arriving as well. Because she lived in the Crystal Empire, we didn't get to see each other too often and that party was a convenient means to see her again."

"When you first met Sugar Plum, what did you think of her?" the elders asked. Zach gave a sheepish smile.

"To be honest, I've always been more mature mentally than physically," he explained. "I was already able to walk and talk properly by the age of three. I was seven when we met. At the time... I only really saw her as a new friend. But, I will admit... I thought she was very pretty too."

"Save the flirting for after, hot shot," Chuck said.

The pegasus and elders ignored this remark, and the latter asked their next question.

"When would you say you first noticed your... affection towards her?" they ask. Zach pondered this for a brief moment before answering.

"I'd say for me, it was sometime during our childhood," he answered, "At first, it was simply a few subtle hints, like feeling protective of her whenever someone made fun of her and her family or feeling sad whenever we had to say goodbye to each other." His face turned a slight crimson color. "But as we got older... it wasn't so subtle anymore. I won't go into any details at the moment, for the sake of time and present company. I tried to shrug it off at first, thinking it wasn't anything too big. That is, until Granny Smith called me out on it privately and... explained what was happening."

"I swear, Granny Smith is too perceptive at times," Cindy stated aloud, causing a few heads to turn her way, to which she added a whispered, "Sorry!"

"He got the talk from someone who wasn't even in his own family?" Sterling blurted out.

"Technically, according to Aunt Applejack, my family is part of her family too Sterling," Zach explained to his friend, ignoring the looks given by the Changelings to both of them.

"Still, it's more of a dad thing," Chuck shrugged. "I mean, how awkward would that be? Granny Smith?"

"I believe we're straying from the topic," one of the elder Changelings said.

"Right, sorry," Zach apologized, then listened to the next question.

"Did you ever have any doubts about your relationship or how she'd take it?"

Zach was silent for a moment, then slowly answered, "...Yes..."

"May I ask why?" the elder inquired.

"My Dad's powers run through my veins," Zach explained. "My biggest fear was to find myself following the same path he did long ago. Many ponies then and now think of me as a monster..." His voice held a note of sadness in it. "I guess... my fear is that I'll prove them right and accidently harm her."

"Like father, like son, like alternate version of the same entity," Cindy whispered to the Pies beside her. "Red often feels the same way."

"We know how entities work Cindy," Sweet Tooth replied.

"Does this make your love for her any less or her love for you?" the elders inquired.

"Well... no," the pegasus answered.

"Then I'd simply ask you to not worry about it," the female elder said with a smile. She then looked up and addressed them formerly. "I believe that'll do for the questions. By the power invested in me and my mate, I officially nominate Sugar Plum and Zachary Sparkle as members of the Changeling community. Any objections?"

"...I officially nominate Sugar Plum and Zachary Sparkle as members of the Changeling community. Any objections?"

A few Changelings seemed to be a bit displeased, but otherwise held their tongues.

"Very well then," the elders said, "We see no more matters in need of discussion. You are all dismissed. Thank you for your time and patience."

The monarchs who had been against the nominating rose hastily and left in a hurry from the looks of it, but the others were much nicer and even stayed to chat amongst themselves for a moment. Particularly, Sweet Storm and the larger Changeling family.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Cicada," the pink monarch, Aspvia, said to Chuck and Pinkie in regards of the yellow monarch. "For the longest of times, she and Chrysalis were as close as monarchs tend to get."

"And here I thought she couldn't make any friends," Chuck remarked. "But then again, even Adolf Hitler had pals."

"A dictator from your world?" Aspvia asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Don't worry, we all know your origins," Sweet Storm added. "TD was a little too sharing."

"A dictator sort of puts it lightly. I mean, he's more known for eradicating millions of people purely based on a difference in beliefs, but yeah," Chuck said.

"He also looks like Charlie Chaplin, who I'm partially named after," Sterling boasted. "Sterling Chaplin Pie."

"Our son's middle name is from someone who looks like a dictator?" Pinkie asked Chuck.

"No, Hitler looked like Chaplin," Chuck stated. "Chaplin was known before Hitler was,.Hitler stole Chaplin's style."

"That sounds like Chrysalis if you think about it," Thorax joked from nearby.

"Hey, I could do the same thing if you gave me the opportunity and a heart of stone," Pharynx argued.

"You don't want to do the same thing. It's, how do I say this... evil," Sweet Tooth stated. "If you want to do anything, start a cult, get a bunch of people who do what you want and you make money off of them."

"I've been in and have led many cults, and trust me when I say you make more money leading them." Sterling added.

"I almost fell into one of his cults myself," Zach stated. "I'm glad I didn't. No offense Sterling, but conjuring up potions for you guys to just throw around randomly at the townsfolk is not my style."

"That one wasn't a cult, we were just bored that day," Sweet Tooth said. "First Church of Zorp was a cult."

"And the First Church of Abba," Sterling added.

"At least the hymns were pretty good in that cult," Sugar Plum shrugged.

"I knew you took my Abba CD," Chuck said, frustration in his voice.

"Either way, I'm glad I didn't oblige," the pegasus continued. "We may not have had unwanted guests appear in the lab, but I did get several pleas from the other kids at school... all because of my Cutie Mark and the fact that I can conjure up... well, pretty much anything." He chuckled and shook his head. "Sometimes my powers are a bit too enigmatic."

"No need to get religious on us," Sterling remarked.

"Sterling doesn't know what enigmatic means. Ignore him," Chuck said. Just then, Cindy walked over to them with the suit.

"Sir, mum," she said to Chuck and Pinkie, "We may want to skip town if you catch my meaning. I think Cicada is plotting revenge."

"Or we could lay waste to her hive?" Chuck suggested.

"Peaceful tribe, remember?" Pinkie reminded him.

"Frag," He sighed.

"Even so, I'd suggest to let her try and take the first move," Cindy suggested. "That way, we can be justified by the fact that she attacked first and we simply responded in self-defense."

"Always the strategists," Zach muttered.

"Well, Red is a weapon created in a lab," Cindy replied. "That alone may have something to do with it."

"Good idea Cindy, come on team Best Hive, let's go," Chuck addressed his family.

"BEST HIVE! BEST HIVE!" Sterling chanted, getting looks from others.

"Do you want to take the long way back, or be done in a flash?" Zach asked, making his wings glow slightly for emphasis.

"Ever since Rosanne got cancelled, I don't really have a reason to be home right about now. I don't care either way," Sterling stated.

"You watch Rosanne?" Chuck asked.

"He's a grown pony, he can watch what he wants." Pinkie said.

"I know that, but there are so many better sitcoms," Chuck said.

"Fair enough," Zach nodded. "Hold still, please."

His wings glowed and in a flash they teleported away from the hive, reappearing a few feet away from their own hive.

"Well, I miscalculated by five feet," he joked.

"Now I have to walk ALL the way home," Chuck droned.

"Thanks Zach!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"No problem Aunt Pinkie," Zach replied. He then looked to the sky and seemed to notice something he didn't like.

"Oh no... Hey, would anyone inside Dad's lab mind closing the window?!" he called out as a swarm of birds, all of them two of each kind, flew from the sky and into the lab. As they did, TD's voice could be heard on the inside making a complaint about the whole thing.

"No no no! Dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty- big one!"

"Remind me why the lab has to be in our hive again? I feel a lot of issues could be avoided if it wasn't," Sweet Tooth remarked.

"It's not in your hive, which makes it all the more annoying!" TD called out. "You just think that because of how often someone sneaks in!" He then screeched. "Not the face! Not the face! NOT THE FACE!"

Zach sighed as if this was a daily occurrence, which probably was the case in his family.

"I'd better help him," he said. "Sounds like he released the Facehuggers again." He made towards the lab at a gallop, shouting, "Dad, where'd you put the flamethrower?!"

"C'mon kids, let's go get ice cream... in Fillydelphia or somewhere else far away from here." Chuck suggested to his family.

"Road trip!" Pinkie beamed.

"I'll just guard the hive then," Cindy remarked. "It'll give me an excuse to make sure no one sneaks into the lab again. Especially that one TD keeps calling Wade." She then sounded curious. "What is his real name?"

"Buggy, bug face, call out some type of bug related term and you'll have a solid shot at the right answer," Chuck stated as they walked off.

"Finally, somepony gets my name right!" a voice called from the hive.

"Shut up, Nurse!" TD shouted back, then quickly added, "Sorry, couldn't resist throwing that in."

* * *

The elder Changelings and the council waited until all but Cicada had left and the room abandoned, then the female elder made a sigh of relief.

"Finally, I thought they'd never leave!" she complained as a burst of green flames engulfed her and revealed the form of a painfully familiar monarch underneath. None of the council members or the elder beside her reacted, instead looking straight ahead in a hypnotic state. Cicada gave her an evil smile, but also one that seemed happy to see her again.

"Good acting Chrissy," she said, "I give it a ten. And from the looks of it, that spell paid off. Zach didn't notice anything different at all!"

Chrysalis smiled in relief. "Thank you old friend. I must congratulate you for your own display today. Although, that was risky mentioning the attack on Canterlot like that."

"Playing the victim is the best way to catch your enemies off guard," Cicada explained. "So, what now?"

"Now..." Chrysalis peered through the entrance of the room as she watched Thorax giving out orders to his Changelings.

"Now, we get our revenge."

* * *

 **"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," and Cicada is no exception apparently.**

 **What are they planning and will it succeed? I can only guess...**

 **In case you wish to know which ones are mine and which ones are not: mine are the yellow Changelings (from Cicada's hive), Sweet Storm and her hive, the Elders and their council, and the brown Changelings. The pink Changelings, while their leader is given a different name, are from** ** _Dakingace_ 's story** **"Forever a Changeling."**

 **Another note: when I finished this chapter, the audio drama for Daughter of Discord released it's final episode. I said it on her channel in the comments to the last episode, but I'll say it again: Thank you so much DisneyFanatic2364! Without your audio dramas on "Bride of Discord" and "Daughter of Discord," I never would've gotten this far let alone be writing my own fanfics. Thank you SO MUCH! You're awesome!**

 **Cya next time!**


	39. Chrysalis's Revenge

**And now... Chrissy gets revenge! Or tries to at least.**

 **I hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh, well shoot!" a Changeling complained aloud as he fell down a pit, just missing the ledge on the other side by a hair.

"[Bleep]!" another one shouted falling in behind his friend, a censoring spell from TD keeping him from saying the actual word. The two trouble makers were desperately trying to enter TD's laboratory, but the crafty human had turned it into a near-impossible Deathrun course just to reach the potions. Thankfully, whenever one of them "died" from a trap, he simply found himself teleported back to the start of the trap he died from and forced to retry it. Meanwhile, in a different room of the Castle, TD was laughing his head off as he watched their futile attempts on a monitor screen. Chuck was standing beside him, but whether he was there willingly or not was unclear.

"Oh Billy Boy, you're a genius!" TD congratulated himself. "I should've done this years ago!"

"You drug me away from my lounge for this?" The monarch asked, not amused.

"Come on!" TD said between laughs. "You can't deny... this is... pretty good!" He chuckled as the Changelings onscreen tried and failed over and over again to jump over some large knives, only to get flung by an invisible force whenever they were only an inch above the blade and forced to restart.

"I know it's a bit early, but this thanksgiving..." TD stopped midsentence, making a noise that sounded like wheezing; he was laughing so hard. "This Thanksgiving... I'm thankful for my traps!"

"You've been away from earth too long. Loving traps means something way different." The monarch snickered. "Well, you have fun playing Saw. I'm going to go smoke cigars, drink bourbon, and listen to my jazz records." The monarch turned away. As Chuck walked away, he passed Twilight who immediately started scolding her husband.

"William, for the love of Celestia, get them out of that hell-hole!" she shouted at him. The response was the sound of someone's hand smacking a desk and a faint wheezing noise from TD.

"I would help them, Twi," he laughed. "But I enjoy watching them struggle too much!"

"Aarrrg!"

A loud zap was heard and the sound of something crashing into a wall hard followed by broken glass, yet TD was still laughing.

"I love a gal who can take charge. Not enough to marry one, but I've got respect for 'em," Sterling remarked, passing by and hearing the crashing.

"It seems to be more commonplace these days," Diana mentioned as she phased out from a nearby wall. It was unclear if she had detected Sterling's comment with the help of her spell used to counter her lack of hearing, or if she simply had guessed what he was saying. Sometimes, she could be confusing.

"Thank Celestia it's more common. I don't care enough to take charge of myself, I need someone to do it for me," Sterling remarked.

"That's what mares love, someone they need to take care of," Sweet Tooth said sarcastically. Diana giggled at the remarks, then she looked to them with curiosity.

"So, where'd my brother and your sister run off to now?" she asked with a teasing tone in her voice. "I haven't seen either of them around the hive or the Castle since this morning."

"Maybe they're consomating," Sterling suggested.

"Don't say that, Dad said that word gives him ulcers," Sweet Tooth reminded him.

"Just as well, I don't know what consomating means," Sterling shrugged.

"And it's probably for the best," Diana noted. Normally, she wasn't as open in talk, but her time with Thermidor seemed to have had an effect on her in that regard. She was more open in conversation now, but she was still quiet at times. Another crash sounded from the room TD and Twilight were in, followed by a vase flying out the door. It went straight through Diana's body, the phasing spell she commonly used acting up out of pure instinct now. As such, the vase harmlessly shot through her body and shattered on the floor behind her.

"Ha! You missed!" TD's voice shouted, then immediately changed tone. "Oh... crap..."

Another crash and a yelp of pain.

"I wonder where dad's off to," Sterling remarked, wanting to leave the house.

"He's at his lounge," Sweet Tooth told him.

"He's listening to Frank Sinatra without me!?" Sterling gasped, running off. Diana chuckled again.

"And then, there were two," she spoke aloud. Another crash came from the room nearby and a piano (of all things) flew out of the room. This time, Diana blasted it with her magic, causing it to turn into a cloud of white feathers. She looked to Sweet Tooth and it was all too clear what she flet about the situation.

"We should probably go," she said. "I may be able to survive this, but I have a feeling that even Changelings would have a hard time avoiding... that."

She gestured towards the room, where the fight could still be heard.

"I was just on my way to Dad's lounge anyway," Sweet Tooth shrugged, heading off with Diana. However, as soon as the Castle was empty, the fighting abruptly stopped and Twilight poked her head out of the room.

"Did we have to be so dramatic?" she asked TD, not turning in his direction yet.

"If it helps to clear the house and give us some time alone, then yes," TD answered, then chuckled. "Aren't I a stinker?"

She smirked and turned towards his direction.

"Yes, yes you are," she replied, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

"I can see why Tracker recommended this spot for peace and quiet," Zach said aloud to Sugar Plum as he gazed out over at a nearby lake or pond in a grassy meadow. "I swear, this spot almost makes me feel like time has stood still."

"My dad said time stands still sometimes in conversation," Sugar Plum stated.

"Sometimes," Zach agreed. He had brought Sugar Plum to the place as a means to get some time in with her, but also because he needed to clear his thoughts. After a rough day at Celestia's council, he had almost lost his mind over the debates going on. Thankfully, Sugar Plum helped keep his mind off of it and the place they were in helped even more. Neither of them knew it, but they were actually in a field TD and Twilight had spent their time together in whenever they went on a date, long before their marriage had come around. The only indicator was that it was within sight of the Everfree Forest, but then again many of the latter's dates had been near the forest so it wasn't much help either way.

"He used to say that a lot when it came to talking to our old next door neighbor, did you ever meet him?" Sugar Plum asked.

"You mean that guy who never takes a hint, despite meaning well?" Zach remarked, then chuckled. "I think I have an idea of who you are talking about."

"Dad never liked him. Mom did though," Sugar Plum said.

"That sounds just like her," Zach giggled. "She never could say no to a friendly face. Or at least one trying to be friendly." He sighed once more, and even Sterling could've been able to tell that he was troubled if he was around.

"Is something wrong?" Sugar Plum asked. Zach nodded. From experience, he knew it wasn't hard for her to catch on whenever he was disturbed and it was pointless to hide anything from her.

"The Council's been a bit... disturbed at the moment," Zach told her. "Aunt Celestia is afraid that a war might be on the horizon." His expression twisted in a bit of anger. "It's those Changeling hives, the ones that disapproved of your family. Especially Cicada. They're making things harder for all of us." His expression softened as he looked to her. "I never thought I'd say this before over such a thing... but I'm scared. For you, for Mom and Dad, for everyone. A war... it's the last thing I want in this world."

"Oh... I see..." She nodded. Zach didn't answer for a while, but neither did he turn his gaze away from her fully. He didn't seem to have more to say, but at the same time he didn't seem to know how to keep the conversation going. Eventually, a sign appeared next to him from out of nowhere that had the words, "Awkward Silence" written on it. If the chaotic entity noticed it, he did nothing about it.

"Well then..." Sugar Plum giggled.

"I'm starting to forget why exactly we came here, other than being alone," Zach stated, then blushed. "That probably sounded wrong. Guess I get that from Dad. I wish I had his confidence in these things. He almost never seems embarrassed about anything."

"There's nothing wrong with being embarrassed sometimes," Sugar Plum said.

"It's more along the lines of being... what'd Dad call it? 'Overly cautious.' That's how he describes my behavior around you, and frankly I don't blame him," Zach explained.

"My dad calls that pheromones," She replied.

"He also freaks at even the hint that we're alone," Zach stated. "But I guess I can't blame him. After all, my heritage isn't the most 'normal' one out there."

"He freaks out at a lot. He says that he's developed a lot of ulcers thanks to your heritage," Sugar Plum remarked. Zach couldn't help but laugh at that one.

"That is something I couldn't agree more with!" he chuckled. He then gave a questioning look. "Are you busy tomorrow? Dad and mom got some coupons for free refreshments at the theater, and I was wondering..."

"I'd love to!" She smiled.

"Great! I'll see what times they're playing tomorrow," he said enthusiastically. "Uh, but just a warning." He gave a mischievous smile and whispered, "Don't tell Diana. She'll just phase out of the screen like a ghost and scare everyone."

It was clear he was joking and his smile only confirmed it. Diana had once pulled that off on Sterling when they were younger, and it had scared him senseless. Diana kept the spirit of that moment alive by occasionally pulling pranks like that at the theater.

"I'll be sure not to say a word," Sugar Plum chuckled. Zach smiled again, then looked out towards the lake and seemed to get an idea.

"I've got a few more hours," he said, "So, what do you say about a little fun on the lake?"

"Sure," She nodded. Zach's wings glowed and a boat appeared in the water, complete with a diving board.

"My dear," he said with a playful accent, donning a sailor outfit to match, "Your ship has arrived!"

"Just like Titanic," She swooned. She didn't know how that story ended. In the back of his mind, Zach made a mental note.

 _DON'T tell her how Titanic ended._

* * *

"Now, I went on a hundred different movie dates with a hundred different dames, and I know all the things a guy can try and do. If he-" Chuck rambled to Sugar Plum before Pinkie overheard.

"You went on a hundred different what's with a hundred different who?" She hollered. Chuck gulped and tussled his daughter's mane.

"Have fun sweetheart." He said, ushering her off.

"I will dad," She nodded as she turned and went on her way into town. The streets were relatively empty, with only a few ponies here and there to serve as traffic. It was as peaceful a day as you could get.

"Psst! Sugar Plum!" a voice called to her from a nearby alley. Turning to look, she noticed a familiar figure staring at her: a grey pony with a black mane and a set of hoofprints for a Cutie Mark.

"Oh, um... hi!" Sugar Plum called.

"Hey, do you have a minute?" Tracker asked her. "I have a bit of a problem, and I was hoping you could give me some advice."

"Uh... sure..." she nodded. "I mean... wait, aren't you and Screwball supposed to be away?" She asked.

"Uh..." Tracker started, then growled angrily. "Screw this! Get her!"

Before she could say "knife", Sugar Plum suddenly found herself being dragged into the alley and out of sight of others by a small swarm of Changelings. One look at their yellow exoskeletons told her exactly who their monarch was, especially when the fake Tracker's form changed into the monarch in question: Cicada.

"Let go of me! Let go of me right now!" She ordered.

"Aww, what's wrong?" Cicada asked in mock sympathy. "Not so strong without your precious half-breed to guard you?" One of her claws reached up to her face and forced Sugar Plum to look her in the eye. "Scream all you want, but no one can or will save you."

"Big mistake. Huge. I'm close to some of the most over protective and powerful people in Equestria." Sugar Plum said, no visible sign of fear.

"Well, that's why I'm doing this," Cicada smirked. "I'm doing a friend a favor. In fact, I'm sure she'd love to see someone who's emotionally attached to the son of her worst enemy."

As she spoke, another Changeling monarch appeared from the shadows of the alley. Even though she knew little about her or her appearance, Sugar Plum knew who it was instantly.

"I do love to play with the love lives of ponies," Chrysalis laughed as she approached Sugar Plum. "I was starting to wonder if this was a good catch or not, but we hit the bullseye!"

"I should have known," Sugar Plum scowled at Chrysalis.

"Mmm, but you didn't... at least not in time," she chuckled. "Now, to the task at hand..." She turned to another Changeling nearby. "Replace her, then meet up with the pegasus brat. Try not to drain him completely before I get there. In the meantime, we'll be taking this... nerd back to the hive."

"And then comes Plan B," Cicada added. "The declaration of war. And with the others on our side, we'll be unstoppable."

The Changelings all gave an evil laugh, then one of them shifted forms so that he looked exactly like Sugar Plum.

"Don't worry, he won't miss you," the Changeling said tauntingly, mimicking her voice perfectly.

"Nobody's going to miss you when my hive makes you suck bug spray, creep," Sugar Plum taunted.

The response was simply an evil grin and then the Changeling left the alley and continued in the direction of the theater. Meanwhile, the others picked her up and started flying off, with Chrysalis first casting an invisibility spell and a mute spell to mask their retreat.

* * *

Zach didn't know why, but he was suddenly feeling anxious as he waited near the theater for Sugar Plum to arrive. He didn't know what to make of this new feeling, for it was the first time such a thing had happened to him on such an intense scale. Somehow, in the back of his mind, something was telling him that all was not well with his marefriend.

 _Did something happen to her on the way?_ he thought to himself. _Maybe a traffic jam? No, not enough ponies on the streets. Maybe she's just late? Then why do I feel so worried?_

As he kept worrying, a call from a ways back caught his attention and he turned to see Sugar Plum trotting down the street. He sighed in relief. Maybe he was just being paranoid after all. There was nothing to worry about...

And yet, that warning in the back of his head didn't leave, and it puzzled him. Why would it remain there if there was no danger? Zach wasn't entirely sure about everything his father's magic could offer, but he did know that it was seldom wrong when it gave a warning. But what was it?

He got his answer when Sugar Plum got within speaking distance. The telepathic connection between them... it was gone! That was definitely not right! Sugar Plum hadn't cut off his connection anytime he had last seen her, so it was clearly a duplicate he was facing. One with bad intentions. But he had to be sure...

"Sorry I'm late," Sugar Plum said to him. "Dad and Mom gave me a bit of a talk before I left."

 _So far, so good. Play along for now..._

Zach smirked. "What? They don't trust me enough?"

The response was a slight raise of the eyebrow, which Zach admitted was a cute sight on her. Assuming it was her, that is.

"The next show isn't scheduled to come about for another fifteen minutes," Zach said to her. "So, mind if I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," she answered.

"Do you remember the last date we had together, when I talked about our possible future?" he asked her.

"I think so," Sugar Plum answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... I'm not sure how your father would take it if we just dropped the bomb," Zach stated, subtly leading her away from any public viewers.

 _Hook, line, and sinker,_ he thought. _Nice move!_

"Don't worry about my dad," Sugar Plum said to him. "As long as we have each other, we'll be fine."

"I'm glad you said that," Zach answered, before glaring and adding, "Because that date never happened."

With a glow of his wings, Zach pinned the impersonator to an alley wall and the disguise stripped away, revealing a yellow Changeling underneath. The Changeling was really mad.

"You always were a thorn in the side!" the Changeling hissed. "You and your father!"

"It's a gift," Zach stated. His eyes changed from their kind look and instead now looked very intimidating. "Now, you're coming with me. And keep your disguise off, if you know what's good for you."

Without another word, Zach's wings glowed once more and in a cloud of feathers, they disappeared.

* * *

"Sir!" Anthropod shouted as he rushed into Chuck's lounge in a breathless state. As he opened the door, the entire hive shook for a few seconds, causing a minor earthquake-like feeling to come over the hive.

"What is it?" Chuck asked. "Good Lord man, you need to work on your cardio." He remarked.

"It's your daughter sir!" the tired Changeling exclaimed. "Just... bring the bug spray! Never thought I'd say that, but do it!"

"No no. No just," The monarch replied sternly. "I want you to tell me what's going on." He commanded.

Just then, a figure was tossed by the room with Zach close on its heels. At first, Chuck thought it was Sugar Plum... until he caught a smell off of the pony that warned him that what he was really seeing was a Changeling from another hive. As if confirmation was needed, Zach's wings glowed and the form of Sugar Plum was forcibly removed from the yellow Changeling.

"I said, keep the disguise off!" Zach growled at the intruder, who was now practically whimpering.

"What in the world is this?" The monarch asked. "If this is some kind of practical joke it's not funny. And I know funny. I was a comic for almost fifteen years."

Zach didn't answer right away and instead pinned the Changeling to the wall, his draconic eyes looking like fire instead of actual eyes now.

"Where. Is she?" he growled. "WHERE IS SUGAR PLUM?! One way or another, you're gonna tell me!"

"What do you mean, 'where is she'?" Chuck asked. "I want one of you to tell me what's going on right now." His patience was wearing thin.

"You really are slow," the yellow Changeling finally scoffed. "Your daughter is far from here, in my queen's hive. If she's not drained by now, she'll be my queen's new toy."

"Oh, okay, that's all." The monarch nodded, surprisingly keeping his cool. "If that's all then I guess I finally have a reason to use this." He stated, pulling something out of the desk in his lounge.

"This is a modified Walther P38 handgun complete with scope, suppressor, and stock that I purchased one day at a pawn shop back home. For no real reason I bought a package of bullets to accompany it, funny how that happened. Almost as if some divine power was telling me one day I'd get to use it on some sick creep who kidnapped my daughter," He explained, taking the form of a humanoid to properly wield the weapon. He pressed the tip of the gun to the skull of the Changeling. "Say goodnight, Gracie." He grinned menacingly.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" the Changeling pleaded. "You wouldn't kill me... would you?"

Zach seemed to catch on to what Chuck was implying and gave his own sinister grin. "Try us, kid."

That was enough to break him.

"Alright, alright! I'll talk! I'll talk!" he squealed. "Just don't kill me, please!"

"We'll see," The monarch sneered. "You can tell me everything there is to know about whatever I want, but that still doesn't make me like you."

The Changeling nodded slowly, then started talking.

"The hive is in a barren place, just about twenty miles away from the ocean where your hippogriff friends live. That's where they're keeping her! But that's not all... Chrysalis is back, and she's plotting revenge on your human friend!"

"Alright," The monarch nodded. "Zach. Go and get your father." He instructed.

"With pleasure," the pegasus nodded, then teleported away. He reappeared a few seconds later with TD, who didn't seem too pleased.

"This better be good, Chuck, or I'm gonna build a wall around you, and the readers are gonna pay for it," he stated.

"Dad, no time for the jokes!" Zach shouted, losing his patience for once with his dad's antics.

"Fine, what's wrong?" TD asked.

"Cicada kidnapped Sugar Plum and is in cahoots with Chrysalis," Chuck stated.

"SHE'S BACK?!" TD screeched in disbelief.

"Mhm!" The monarch nodded. TD was silent, trying and failing to form words in his mouth for a while. Finally, he started to walk away from them.

"Twilight!" he called as he marched off. "Get me the bug spray! We've got a rescue mission to do!" He then added softly, "And a pest to exterminate... permanently."

"Toss lemon face in the slammer," Chuck instructed Anthropod. "Cindy!" He hollered out, calling the AI. The robotic suit rushed into the room.

"I'm here, Master Murphy!" she said, giving a salute then making the suit stand still and open up so he could enter. "Just give me the targets!"

The monarch entered the suit and settled in.

"We've got bugs to squash." He stated.

* * *

"Why did her hive HAVE to be built like a treetop fortress?" TD muttered as he, Diana, Zach, and Chuck all stood a mile or two away from Cicada's hideout. Chuck was currently in the robotic suit with Cindy giving him manual control for the most part, although she occasionally gave her own input as well.

"My sensors are picking up at least thirty guards outside the hive, close to three hundred more on the inside," she stated. "At least a hundred are heavily armed and watching over a certain area. I'm willing to bet that's the prison cells."

"No kidding," Chuck remarked. "What's the plan?"

"Well, other than doing it quietly for Sugar Plum's sake..." TD began.

"You don't have a plan," Zach finished with a frustrated sigh. "Dad, for once, could you actually come up with an idea to get through things like this?"

"Nope," was the reply.

"I can activate 'Stealth Mode' for Master Chuck," Cindy suggested. "But otherwise, you're on your own."

"That'll do fine," Chuck nodded. "What's stealth mode do? Silencers on my weapons? Invisibility?"

"A little of both, actually," Cindy explained. "There's also mute charges, muffled movement mode, and various others. I can show them off when needed."

"You may have to show them off now," Chuck muttered.

"Okay everyone, let's do this," TD stated before leading them to the doors of the hive. The two Changelings at the entrance didn't see anyone approach, but they did feel a tap on their shoulders. Turning around, they saw TD with a goofy grin on his face.

"Hi, how are ya?" he asked, before swiftly smashing their heads together and causing them to get knocked unconscious. He then gave a thumbs up to his friends who approached with invisibility spells on them, or a cloaking field for Chuck.

"That's how it's done," he said to them, somehow seeing them while they were invisible.

"You may have got two guards, but there's far more than that to worry about. My daughter for instance," Chuck replied.

"Oh come on!" TD groaned in frustration. "Can't I have a little fun these days?"

"Patrol, dead ahead," Cindy warned. "Too many to take out without a disturbance. I suggest the Mute bombs, sir."

"Suggestion approved. Deploy the bombs... or launch, or whatever," Chuck ordered. A compartment opened up on his suit's arm and a round sphere flew out of it and hit the ground just as the Changelings came into sight. Right before they could sound an alarm, the bomb released some kind of shockwave... yet not a sound was heard. The Changelings seemed to be trying to shout or something, but no sound came from them either. As they were overcoming their shock, several blasts from Diana and TD took them down. The bomb's effects wore off after the job was done, but by then the patrol was taken care of. And no one had even heard the struggle.

"[Censored] sweet," Chuck remarked with a smirk. "C'mon, let's find my daughter," He instructed, stepping forward.

"Wait a second…" TD stopped him. "Where did Zach go?"

It was then that the others noticed that he had slipped off sometime during the time the patrol had arrived.

"Oh great," TD groaned.

"Spectacular," The Changeling monarch grumbled. "Now what?"

"Follow the leader," Diana stated as if it was obvious, phasing through a wall.

"Easy for you to say," TD chuckled. "Hang on, I think I know where he went."

"Keep your wits about you," Cindy cautioned. "These Changelings may try to disguise themselves as one of us."

"Shouldn't be a problem," TD commented, heading down a tunnel. "You have your sensors and the rest of us have the magic to tell the difference."

Cindy sighed. "Well Master Chuck, it's off to the prison cells, I suppose."

"Let's go Cindy." The monarch nodded. The two made their way down the only tunnel the others hadn't gone down yet, stopping once they found themselves in a room with many cocoon-like structures hanging from the ceiling. Inside each cocoon was another creature. Most were ponies, but there was also some hippogriffs, a yak, and even a few other Changelings.

"Good lord..." Cindy whispered.

"You're telling me... I can't make out the fine details in those cocoons. Can you see Sugar Plum?" Chuck asked.

"I can't sir, but she's definitely in here somewhere," Cindy remarked. "I'll have to do a vital scan and see if I can match any of those here with her own." A few beeps and buzzing noises came from the suit, then in Chuck's vision from within the suit, one of the cocoons higher up was outlined in red.

"There!" she shouted, "That's her! She seems to be drained considerably, but she's still holding out. Tough mare."

"Hey, guys!" TD called, appearing through another entrance, "Make this snappy. The hive is coming in full-" He stopped when he noticed the cocoons. "Oh gosh..."

"Coming in full what? Never mind." The monarch rolled his eyes and growled to himself. "Jets engage," He ordered. The jets in the suit activated and he flew up to the cocoon with his daughter. "Cindy, I won't hurt her if I just blast it open?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, it would sir," Cindy remarked. "However, we could try a different approach. Aim for the base on the top and it'll knock her down. Then TD or one of the others can catch her."

"Don't put so much faith in me, please," TD pleaded. "I'm already hanging by a thread there."

"We'll get her!" a voice called as Zach and Diana appeared down below, looking up at the cocoon. "Whenever you're ready." Zach seemed to be a bit worried, but Diana didn't show such worry herself as she simply stared up at the cocoon and waited patiently.

"Alright..." Chuck nodded. " He armed the blaster and fired at the base of the cocoon. "Heads up!" He hollered.

The cocoon fell to the ground, stopping partway by a combined aura from Zach and Diana. Setting the cocoon on the ground gently, they looked inside to see Sugar Plum as if half-asleep. Zach, whether out of anger or desperation, suddenly smacked the cocoon with one of his hooves and it split open down the middle, dumping her out onto the ground.

"Next time, use a surgical knife!" TD complained, but he still was relieved to see that Sugar Plum was alright.

"Wait for her to come to," Cindy suggested. "They took a lot out of her, so she may still be recovering."

"Do we have time to wait?" Chuck asked. "We might have to carry her."

TD looked to Sugar Plum, then to the entrance he had come from. When he looked back to them, his eyes held an expression of alarm.

"Carry her!" he ordered Zach. "Everyone else... RUN!"

He leaped from his ledge just as a swarm of yellow Changelings struck his last position, buzzing angrily at him.

"Spectacular," Chuck sighed. "That way, now!" He ordered Zach and Diana. The two nodded, and with a short pause for Zach to lift Sugar Plum onto his back, the two rushed out the nearest exit. TD followed shortly after, and once he had cleared the entrance he looked back to the Changelings following them.

"Stop right there!" a female drone shouted, baring her fangs at him.

"Have a donut, coppers!" TD yelled, throwing an actual donut at them. Only once it had hit the ground, it exploded and caused that tunnel to collapse. He then rushed back towards his comrades, only to get grabbed by another wave that came from a side tunnel.

"Get your slimy claws off me!" he shouted angrily, using several blasts of magic in an attempt to shake them off.

"How many of these creeps are there?" Chuck asked, firing off blasts as quick as he could at as many targets he could see.

"About five hundred or more," Cindy stated. "And that's not the full force. This hive isn't even the main hive; it's a prison, nothing more."

"That explains a lot," Zach muttered as he tossed a crowd of Changelings away from him. He was managing to hold out well, even with Sugar Plum encumbering him slightly.

"Slagtastic," The monarch sighed. "Would it be possible to slow then down and make a break for it?" He suggested.

"Yes," TD answered. "But we'll have to-"

He was cut off by a larger Changeling smashing into him, which was soon revealed to be Cicada herself. Her claws were around his neck, choking him out. Diana tried to reach him, as Zach was preoccupied with protecting his marefriend, but a crowd of drones cut her off.

"I promised Chrysalis I'd leave you to her if I could," Cicada told TD. "But you're leaving me no choice other than to kill you myself."

TD gave Chuck a look, which he couldn't read. But Cindy seemed to get the message, and so did Zach.

"Oh dear..." Zach muttered.

"He's gonna do it," Cindy said, alarmed.

"Do what?" Chuck asked. In answer, TD unleashed a burst of magic that threw Cicada off of him, but when he did the entire hive began to shake, much to the Changelings' dismay. Shrieking, they rushed away from the others and started pushing hard against the walls or taking tunnels that led to lower levels.

"He's bringing the hive down!" Diana shouted. "We gotta run! NOW!"

"But what about Dad? And the prisoners?" Zach asked with concern. As he did, TD blasted Cicada through a wall, then turned to them.

"I'll be fine guys! Run for it!" he called, then turned to face the hostile Changeling monarch again.

"He said go," Chuck ordered with a sharp tone. "Let's go."

With one final look back at TD, the others followed Chuck through the halls and onwards until they had exited the hive. As soon as they did, an explosion erupted from inside and the hive quivered. Another blast, and the hive slowly toppled like a tree away from them. Screeches could be heard from inside as it fell, and when it hit the ground a large dust cloud rose into the sky. Zach and Diana looked to the cloud with horror.

"Cindy. Scan for life signals," Chuck ordered the AI.

"There's a few life signals, but they are weak," Cindy answered. "They're possibly Changelings that are barely alive under that debris."

"The entire hive... all the prisoners..." Zach managed. "It's all... gone."

"Yeah... oh, except for this," TD's voice came from the dust. With a gust of wind, the entire cloud dispersed and TD was standing before them. Around him, surrounded by a shield, were all of the other cocoons, and at his feet a battered Cicada. TD laughed while his children looked at him with surprise.

"What, you really thought I'd die that easily?" he asked with a smirk.

"Dad!" Diana called, rushing over to him and practically tackling him to the ground with a bearhug. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

Zach sighed in relief, then shouted at him with slight anger, "Don't EVER do that again!"

"Who cares that he did that? The important thing is everyone is alright," Chuck stated. "Come on, let's go home."

"Home...?" Cicada's voice asked weakly, then she laughed. "Fools... there won't be... any home... to come back... to."

TD snapped his head back to her and rushed over to her. Lifting her slightly from the ground, he growled, "What are you saying? Speak up!"

"War..." Cicada said faintly as if she had lost it. "War... war..."

"War?" Chuck asked. As he asked that, Sugar Plum's eyes opened and she looked around curiously.

"What's going on?" She asked. Zach was the first to react, giving her a quick hug.

"Thank goodness!" he exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"And if you want an explanation, we basically did a rescue mission to save you, and then some," Cindy added.

"Mostly me. Your dad. They helped, but it was mostly me," Chuck said, then turned towards Cicada. "What do you mean war, Waspinator?" He asked. Cicada didn't answer, but simply fell back as her head went limp. TD, however, seemed to get something.

"Wait a minute…" he said, then turned to the others. "Chuck, Sugar Plum. The Changeling meeting, was there anything strange about it in the least?"

"Dad, what's wrong?" Zach asked.

"Contact with Cicada. Major brainstorm. Just answer someone!" TD shouted rapidly.

"Look man, I've not been a Changeling long enough to know what a typical meeting is like," Chuck said. "Why?"

"The elders, what did they look like?" TD demanded.

"Wrinkled, very old too," Zach answered. TD dropped Cicada's limp body and started pacing.

"Of course. Of course! Of course, ofcourseofcourseofcourse!" he muttered loudly.

"Dad, spit it out already!" Zach shouted.

"Chrysalis, she needs a way to get revenge," TD rambled. "But her previous plans have failed. So she resorts to last plan: control the council. But the elders are too smart to give it up easily, she needs help. So she calls a friend." He kicked Cicada's body. "It's risky, one or both may die, but they're willing to take that risk! So, using a spell, they place the elders under their control, and then legally they start a war pact. They declare war on the ponies, and with the elders under their control, they also control nearly all of the Changeling hives! An army... capable of overrunning all of Equestria and her allies."

"Oh, well that's just fantastic, isn't it?" Chuck sighed.

"But, she needed to be smart," TD continued. "She had no source of food, so she got it from the best source she could find: the female elder. She takes her place with Cicada's help, then she drains love from the Council slowly. She has to keep up her act, so she alters her form to look as badly aged as they are starting to look. Now, the day finally comes. She kidnaps Sugar Plum and has her sent here to keep us, the more powerful opposition, occupied while the other hives all swarm our friends!"

Diana suddenly gasped at the realization of the situation, as well as for someone she knew was in Ponyville at the moment.

"Thermidor!" she cried. "He can't fight them! He hasn't had to fight in all his life! Not to mention, he's blind!"

"I've seen plenty of blind warriors, but you have a point," TD pointed out. "We need to get back there ASAP!"

"What about the prisoners?" Cindy asked. "We can't just leave them here..."

"We have bigger fish to fry right now," Chuck stated. "What's important now is we protect our home."

"But I-" Cindy started, but TD saved her.

"I'll take care of them," he said reassuringly. "For now, let's go!"

With a snap, they all teleported in front of Chuck's hive. And not a moment too soon, for in the sky above a large cloud of Changelings could be seen approaching the small town. In front of them, the only figure recognizable from the rest, was Chrysalis grinning like a mad mare. Twilight, the Elements, Starlight, and the Pie kids were all standing out in the open staring at the cloud as it approached.

"Sweet Celestia..." Applejack swore.

"You said it," Rainbow Dash added. They then noticed the others.

"Chuckie!" Pinkie called. "Thank goodness! We thought they had gotten to you first!"

"Correction: SHE thought that, not the rest of us," Anthropod stated, having come out of the hive with some warrior Changelings from Chuck's hive.

"I would have thought that after almost twenty years you'd know I can handle myself." He teased. "Happy to see everyone's still alright, no matter how long that will still be the case." He remarked grimly.

"Wait, where's Thermidor?!" Diana demanded.

"I last saw him at the spa," Rarity answered, "But I never saw him leave darling."

As she spoke, the cloud started to descend upon the town. Anyone inside the town at the time was now virtually trapped. Diana glanced at the cloud, then at the town, then suddenly made a dash towards the town.

"Diana, no!" Twilight shouted. "It's too dangerous!"

"I don't care!" Diana shouted back. "I'm not leaving him!"

"She'll get killed out there!" Fluttershy cried with concern.

TD didn't say anything yet, but instead looked to something else in the sky that was flying towards him: a stray butterfly that was floating in front of his face. His face suddenly lit up and he snatched it out of the air.

"What is it?" Chuck asked.

"If you've watched The Lord of the Rings, you'll understand," TD said. He then showed the butterfly in his hand, somehow unharmed by his actions from earlier. He whispered something to it, then released it. It flew high into the sky and in the direction of Canterlot, detouring around the Changeling army approaching. The Changelings didn't seem to take any notice.

"The only thing I understand is that a butterfly isn't going to do anything," Chuck remarked. "Force is the only thing that's going to help us. Force, and a lot of luck."

"Then hold out as long as you can," TD stated. "The cavalry will arrive soon."

By then, the Changeling cloud had fully descended. Of all the hives that could be seen, some recognizable ones were from Cicada's hive, but there were also some that looked like they had come from Chrysalis's hive before they had been reformed. Still others were ones that Chuck had only seen briefly from the gathering. Chrysalis gave a laugh as she descended, followed by the monarchs of the other hives. They were clearly under some kind of spell, as indicated by the green swirls in their eyes.

"TD, you survived," Chrysalis said with disgust.

"Surprised?" TD asked mockingly.

"Hardly," she sneered.

"If you're hardly surprised why bother paying any attention to the fact he survived, I mean, be consistent woman!" Sterling remarked.

"That's a woman!?" Sweet Tooth exclaimed.

"Somewhat," TD stated.

"Chrysalis, you are defying multiple laws of Equestria and disturbing the peace between ponies and Changelings," Twilight began, but was cut off.

"On the contrary, my dear," Chrysalis remarked. "We have declared war on your kind, and the Council has approved. So we are officially at war now. A war that will be your demise."

"Heard that before," Cindy stated. "But we've faced similar odds before as well."

"This will be a piece of cake, nobody's scared of you, Antagony," Chuck snarled.

"You will soon eat your words," Chrysalis sneered. "Once I've removed your pathetic excuse of a hive." She looked to Pinkie Pie and grinned wickedly. "I should've killed you decades ago, along with BOTH of your parents."

Pinkie snarled at her. "We shoulda killed YOU decades ago."

"Is this the first time Pinkie Pie has ever said something like that?" Twilight said aloud in surprise.

"Ah think so," Applejack remarked.

"Not really," TD told them. "She told me before that she's always secretly wanted revenge on dear old Chrissy after what she did to Cocoon. Frankly, I don't blame her."

"Sadly, revenge isn't on your agenda," Chrysalis laughed. "You're outmatched with no hope of survival. Say your prayers, Equestrians."

TD smirked, then suddenly several blasts of lightning struck Chrysalis from every angle, throwing her to the ground.

"When you say you're gonna kill someone, kill them," TD stated. "Don't talk."

Chrysalis snarled, looking more annoyed than hurt.

"Kill them, you fools!" she shouted, causing the entire swarm to act and surge towards their enemy.

"You had to egg her on, didn't you champ?" Chuck rolled his eyes. "Alright Cindy. Let's put even more holes in these freaks." He ordered.

"You, sir, speak my language!" Cindy stated cheerfully, unleashing a barrage of missiles from the suit, striking a score of the Changeling horde in front of them. This, however, seemed to anger TD somewhat.

"Watch it, guys!" he warned as he blasted several out of the sky at once. "Some of them aren't doing this willingly, remember?! Try to keep the casualties from those ones to a minimum!"

"Easier said than done Dad!" Zach muttered, as he narrowly missed getting decapitated by a warrior Changeling while keeping one from getting the drop on Applejack at the same time.

"Quite frankly, I don't care. It attacks me, I destroy it," Chuck replied.

"Fine, have it your way!" TD remarked. "But leave Chrissy to me!"

As if to grant his wish, Chrysalis rose up and struck him with a beam of magic. But it was the magic itself that caused TD to falter, because it was some kind of ice magic.

"Wh- what?!" TD answered in shock. "Since- when- how?"

"You always were a naïve one... William!" Chrysalis laughed and fired another blast, but this time Twilight stepped in the way and blocked the attack with a shield. A fire was in her eyes that no one had ever seen in the Princess of Friendship since Tirek's attempt to take Equestria. Chrysalis seemed amused by Twilight's actions, and simply fired another blast. This time, it was a dark blast. The blast struck Twilight's horn and was absorbed into it, and a face of concentration crossed her face as a smokey trail left her eyes and they turned a poisonous green color. Such eyes were only ever seen before with Sombra. Twilight opened her eyes wide and a dark blast fired from her horn at Chrysalis, who barely managed to deflect it. Twilight's features returned to normal afterwards and she was sweating slightly from fatigue. Some of Twilight's friends were shocked to see this.

"That's uh... That's really something," Rainbow Dash remarked. Meanwhile, Zach and Chuck had somehow managed to find themselves fighting back to back in midair as the swarm continued advancing on. They were managing to hold out well, but it was clear that they would soon be overrun.

"Well, this may be our last fight," Zach stated as he caused a large patch of the swarm to fall to the ground. "So, if there's anything you'd like to say, do it now! I personally want to apologize for ever being a nuisance to you! Or your family!"

"Well, I mean, as much as I loathe the concept of omnipotence to any degree, you aren't so bad. Don't worry about it kid," He replied.

"Thanks..." Zach answered, then, "Behind you!"

On it's own accord, the suit immediately did a 180 turn and blasted a group of three Changelings with a hail fire of machine gun bursts. Afterwards, Cindy spoke.

"My apologies sir," she said to Chuck. "I still have some control over the suit, in the off chance that you can't react fast enough."

"Don't apologize, do it more. I have the reaction ability of a blind and deaf dog," He replied.

Cindy laughed, a clear laugh of joy, and it seemed to release a shockwave that stunned much of the Changeling invaders.

"If Red could ever make an AI companion for me, I'd have your personality type as part of the programming!" she laughed.

But the joy of the fight was soon to be short lived, as the army of Changelings never seemed to get any smaller. Even with all of the powerful entities at their sides, the Equestrians were hard pressed. It didn't help at all that Chrysalis was keeping TD busy, which eliminated their most effective asset in battle. And it was that very thing that caught their attention later on.

During the battle, an exceptionally loud explosion was heard from the direction of Twilight and TD, causing both sides of the battle to momentarily turn their heads in the direction of the noise. What met their eyes was almost like a bad omen. TD and Twilight both were lying on the ground, both looking badly wounded as Chrysalis stood over them triumphantly. She was poised and ready for the kill, while Twilight, who seemed to be the least wounded of the two, had a weak shielding spell placed over them.

"I want everyone's attention placed on Chrysalis NOW!" Chuck bellowed out an order to his side. Several of his Changelings obliged, but were cut off by a wall of other Changelings. Clearly, Chrysalis wanted to savor her victory with no interruptions.

"I have longed for this day for more than thirty years," she mocked, practically going mad with glee. "Prepare to die with your family, Twilight Sparkle!"

She raised her horn and fired a final blow at the shield... but it never connected. The beam stopped in midair and disintegrated, much to the surprise of even TD himself. Chrysalis was bewildered.

"What the-? Who did that?!" she demanded angrily, fixing her eyes all over the place. She soon found who had done it, and her eyes widened in fear.

"Um, sir..." Cindy said nervously to Chuck. "Your children are still at the door of your hive right? Because I think they're gonna see an old friend in rage mode now..."

"Oh fantastic." He grumbled. Everyone stopped fighting to look at the one responsible for the beam intervention, which came in the form of a green and blue striped pegasus. The light around him had darkened and no longer did his eyes look like the draconic ones everyone knew him by; they were now like two large purple orbs of fire, with no pupil or other distinguishing feature to be seen in them. Zach's expression, to top it all, was one of pure anger and rage.

"I'm normally a gentle soul," he spoke, and his voice sounded dark and ominous. "I'm not the one to throw the first punch, or start a fight whenever one breaks out. I try to keep my cool even when all of hell is facing me down." His wings glowed unbearably bright and columns of blue and green fire surrounded him as he fixed his gaze on Chrysalis. "But after seeing you hurt my parents, and threaten my friends... THAT IS THE LAST STRAW!"

With an unearthly howl of rage, a large blast of magic erupted from his form and struck the Changeling monarch, sending her flying through the air and into a nearby tree, which cracked in half upon impact. The enemy Changelings were evidently shocked to see this, but even more so when the hypnotized Changelings temporarily were knocked out of their trance by that blast to Chrysalis.

"Wow, Hulk mode engaged I see," Chuck remarked, thinking out loud. Chrysalis, meanwhile, had managed to stand to her feet and grinned wickedly at Zach.

"Brave of you, but foolish," she smirked. "You forget that I have the numbers on my side! Get him!"

The Changeling horde started to advance upon Zach all at once, but stopped when a new sound was heard: a thundering that shook the ground. TD smirked at this.

"What's that?" Pinkie Pie asked nearby, giving TD a curious look.

"The cavalry has arrived," he said with a chuckle. As he finished, an army- no, FOUR more armies appeared within sight of the two warring sides. One army was obviously Equestrian in appearance, but with green or blue armor on; save for one earth pony who wore a red suit of armor. Beside them in the air on either side were three more Changeling armies. One horde was purplish in color with dark blue eyes and wings, another was pink, and a third was a brown color. The latter was incredibly large in size, about a quarter the size of the combined forces of the enemy Changelings. Pinkie Pie immediately got a face of extreme excitement.

"Sweet Storm!" she cried. "She's come to save us!"

"Hallelujah! Her husband remarked.

With a loud shout, the four new armies charged into the fray, rapidly closing the distance between themselves and their enemies. As they neared, the officer in red armor seemed to split and a small army of clones appeared around him, joining in the charge. They collided against the enemy Changelings and the tides turned dramatically. Now, Chrysalis was fighting a two-front war. In rage, she attacked Zach with a newfound power, fueled by desperation and her want for revenge. Zach, still enraged, was more than happy to oblige to the challenge, meeting her with just as much fury. While they battled it out, TD and Twilight stood to their feet and looked around.

"Well, about time they got here," he muttered, then looked to his wife. "You okay?"

"Mhm!" Twilight answered.

"Good." TD looked to his son, then his glee turned back to fear. "Oh no..."

"What?" Twilight demanded.

"He's lost it," TD said. "Zach has finally lost it."

"Finally?" Rainbow Dash was a bit confused, as well as the rest of her friends.

"What are ya sayin'?" Applejack asked.

"Whatever has happened to poor Zachy?" Rarity demanded.

"Lost it?" Sugar Plum asked. TD looked scared.

"It- it's a side affect to my magic," he explained. "I never thought it was possible, but his magic... it's stronger than any other of my children's magic. He's the most powerful of them all."

"And your point?" Twilight remarked, a bit scared herself but trying to get him to get to the point.

"He technically possesses the same personality thing I have," TD continued. "And it seems his darker personality has finally been given a chance to be let out. I- I don't know if I can reverse it!"

As he finished, another blast of magic from Zach fired into Chrysalis, who seemed to be on her last ropes. His fiery orbs for eyes burned brighter and it seemed like they were all seeing an entirely different pony in them.

"Well that's just spectacular, isn't it?" Chuck remarked dryly. "Anyone happen to know a priest or exorcist?"

"Well, that's the thing," TD started, but was cut off when Chrysalis crashed to the ground again. As if some kind of signal had been cut off, the majority of the enemy Changelings, monarchs and all, shook their heads violently, then looked around with confusion. The yellow Changelings and the ones which shared Chrysalis's hive appearance simply looked around with fear as they seemed to realize everything was going south for them. And the biggest confirmation to this was when their former "comrades" turned on them with anger in their eyes. Zach, meanwhile, slowly fixed his gaze on his family and friends, still looking as if he was ready to kill.

"I've set my lasers from stun to kill." Chuck stated. "For self defense of course."

"Those won't do you much good if he attacks. If he does, you can just blink him to death," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Actually, that's a literal thing he can do. Same with me," TD commented.

"William!" Twilight shouted at him. "How do we reverse this?!"

"That's... the risky part, but it may work," TD explained. "I can't get to him..." his gaze fell on Sugar Plum, who was watching from a realtively safe distance. "...but perhaps, someone else can."

"Nope. Nuh uh," Chuck put his foot down. "I'm not risking my daughter's life on a 'perhaps'. No way." He protested.

"What? Ya have a better idea?" Applejack questioned, knowing full well he didn't.

"Suddenly the loss of one life is more important than any rational solution, huh?" He replied. "I just want everyone to know, if this doesn't work, I will forever hate all of you." He stated. "And possibly even if it does. Okay Sugar Plum, go and... do whatever you have to do. And if it doesn't work, know that you were technically my favorite," He said to his daughter.

"Yet he technically risked her life the day that he even allowed them to date each other," TD said to those reading this at home. His joke went unheard, however, as all looked to Zach. TD was subtly preparing to use his magic in case things went south, as well as Twilight and Pinkie Pie (for obvious reasons). Zach looked at them with his enraged expression, but when he noticed Sugar Plum the fire in his eyes slightly dimmed.

"Zach, hi..." She said, not really knowing what she was supposed to do in this situation. "You think, maybe perhaps, you don't kill me, my friends and family, and half the universe?"

Zach gave a puzzled expression, which was somewhat a contrast to the fire for eyes.

"Really?" TD muttered to himself in disbelief. "Give it a little more of a kick, girl!"

Evidently Twilight had heard him, because he soon received an electrical shock from her horn, which almost made him yelp.

"I mean, think about it; the real you isn't someone who want to destroy everything. No way! The real you is kind, and compassionate, and not an evil ball of destruction." Sugar Plum continued. This seemed to cause a more positive reaction. Zach's eyes burned down to a low flame and he seemed to be intently listening to what she had to say.

"It's working!" TD exclaimed. "Whatever you're doing, don't stop!"

"I mean, really, if you destroy everything, that really makes you no better than those you set out to destroy. Is that really who you want to be?" She asked. Zach was silent, then a single tear escaped his eyes and ran down his cheek.

"...No..." he managed slowly, his voice starting to sound like his own. The flames in his eyes died down and reverted back to his draconic eyes. The fire was still there, however, a small sliver that covered the purple ovals inside.

"Oh for the love of- Just tell him how much you care about him already!" TD's voice shouted, but it wasn't TD that had spoken. Rather, it was a clone of himself that had apparently appeared without his permission. TD glared at him, smacked him hard enough to apparently make him disappear, then smiled and watched the scene unfold again.

"C'mon! I mean, I care about you. I love you... I can't love a homicidal maniac, now can I?" she asked him. The fire disappeared in Zach's eyes completely, and once again they had turned back to the eyes she knew; ones that were filled with compassion, that always held a gentle look to them. Slowly, a smile appeared on his face along with a few happy tears.

"...You won't have to," he replied, his voice fully his own now. "And... I love you too."

TD clapped and cheered, a little prematurely, but no one bothered to stop him. As the others all sighed in relief, they all then turned their attention back to the enemy Changelings, some of whom were trying to talk their out of the situation.

"N-now let's not b-be too rash!" one of the yellow Changelings stammered. "S-she doesn't speak for all of us."

"Nevertheless," the pony officer from before answered, who happened to be Fragment Soul (in case it wasn't obvious). "You willingly complied to attack us. And thus, you shall suffer the consequences for doing so." He gestured to some of the soldiers nearby. "Take them away. They'll stand trial tomorrow."

"Wait, by us or the Changelings?" TD asked.

"I really hope it's by my hive, I smell a very large execution." Chuck grinned maniacally.

"It'll be a bit of both," the monarch Aspiva spoke up, having been one of the hives that had come to help. "By you, it'll be a war trial. By us, it's more of a crime against the highest order."

"And rest assured," the brown Changeling monarch added, "Chrysalis will be tried for this crime she's committed as well."

As soon as she had spoken about Chrysalis, however, an angry hiss was heard and a large black form rushed for Pinkie Pie at an insane speed. The queen had come to at least take revenge on one of those she hated most. However, before she could reach her, Chuck's suit, with Chuck still inside, spun around at a faster speed, too fast for Chuck to register in time. With a single pulse from one of the suit's forelegs, a beam fired from the suit and struck Chrysalis in the heart, going straight through her body and leaving a large gaping hole. Surprised, the evil monarch looked down at her wound, then back to Pinkie, who was only an hoof's reach away. Had Cindy been any slower, Pinkie Pie would've been dead.

"You're not taking any more lives today," Cindy snarled, sounding a bit scary now. "To Tartarus with you, vile spawn of darkness!"

Chrysalis could only gasp out and vainly reach out towards Pinkie Pie as her life ebbed away swiftly. The last thing the evil queen ever saw was TD looking down at her, not with triumph, but grief.

"Rest easy, Chrissy," he said softly. "Siiv drem ko praan." (Find peace in death)

Her eyes glazed over, and Chrysalis was no more, even before TD closed her eyes with his hand.

"Oh good Lord, I think she just voided her bowels," Chuck remarked in disgust.

"Check, please," TD stated half-heartedly at the joking reference to Adventure Time. He then stood aside as some Changelings walked past him and carried her body off. He then remembered something.

"Diana!" he looked around frantically. "She never came back!"

"It's okay, Dad!" her voice called from among the crowd that was gathered there. "I'm here. We both are."

Eventually, Diana and Thermidor both limped to the front of the crowd. One of Diana's hooves was in a makeshift splint, and Thermidor had a few dirt marks on him; but otherwise they had suffered no major injuries.

"Oh, my baby!" Twilight cried, throwing her hooves around Diana, being careful not to hit her sling. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Diana answered with a smile. "We managed to hold out alright."

"Guess there's more to our little girl than meets the eye," TD chuckled.

"I know I'm acting a bit nonchalant about seeing them alive," Zach stated from where he stood next to Sugar Plum, "But I'm actually SO relieved to see you're okay, sis."

Diana giggled. "What, you thought I couldn't handle myself."

"Never crossed my mind," Zach replied with a knowing smile.

"Ladies, you're all beautiful and with your own talents," Cindy interrupted. "Now can we get back to business?"

"I'm happy to see you're okay," Chuck said to his daughter with a warm smile. "And... don't tell Sterling and Sweet Tooth about the whole favorite thing," He added.

"I won't," She replied.

"Hello?" Cindy shouted from the suit. "AI suggesting we take care of things over here!"

"Fine Cindy, for your sake..." TD grumbled, then snapped his fingers and several cocoons appeared. They were from Cicada's prison hive, and all were filled with Changelings. "Chuck, since you and the majority here are Changelings, I'll leave it to you guys to fix this one. Meanwhile, Twi, the Elements, and I will be in Canterlot helping Celestia deal with the other ones. Have fun!"

TD snapped his fingers again, and the previously mentioned individuals disappeared in a flash of light.

"Well... that was mean," Sweet Tooth muttered playfully, but with a hint of seriousness.

"Dad can sometimes be a cruel one," Zach replied.

"Back where I came from, we called that being a knob. Well, that was one word for it," Chuck said. "Alright people, let's get this clean up started." He ordered. The Changelings got to work immediately, breaking open the cocoons and letting the creatures free. Then, each of the monarchs still nearby helped in determining which hive the occupant belonged to. Zach helped too, particularly on a few cocoons where the occupant was terribly wounded inside or extremely drained. Some had been missing from each hive for the longest of times.

"I haven't seen that one over there since she was out of her pupa stage," Sweet Storm commented as she pointed out a young Changeling from her hive.

"Locust?!" Aspiva exclaimed as she helped a Changeling in his prime out of another. "We all thought you were dead!"

"Well, I'm not dead yet," he chuckled.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from Anthropod.

"Your Majesties!" he called to the Pie family, "You may want to see this..."

"What is it Anthropod?" Pinkie asked.

Anthropod stepped aside as he lifted a small bundle from one of the cocoons. In his hooves was what appeared to be a baby Changeling, just barely out of its pupa stage. It didn't look like any Changeling any of them had ever seen. It had a rainbow-colored exoskeleton, with eight small eyes like a spider's, each eye a bright red color. Like other Changeling eyes, it was devoid of a pupil or other such features. However, unlike other Changelings, it seemed to lack any wings. The baby opened its eyes, and a small cry escaped it. It sounded weak and hungry.

"Well that's... freaky." Chuck remarked.

"Odd... I've never seen this kind of Changeling before," Aspiva noted. "And I'm well acquainted with all kinds of Changeling species."

"It's not one I know of," Sweet Storm added. None of the others could tell them what hive it came from. Zach trotted over and stared into two of the eyes, and seemed to be peering into it's mind.

"It's the last of it's kind," he finally said softly and sadly. "The rest were killed off by Chrysalis and Cicada. She's the last one..."

"That's so sad..." Sugar Plum remarked.

"Well, we can't just leave it here," one of the monarchs stated. "What do we do?"

"All I know is we're not making any solid decisions until the others get back," Zach added. "They'll want to know."

"Okay then, let's clean up, then we talk," Cindy suggested. The others agreed and soon, the cleanup job was complete. Shortly after, TD and the others arrived. After gathering the entire Pie family and the respectable gang together, they started to debate about what to do with this orphaned Changeling.

"Oh goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "The poor thing!"

"What are we supposed to do with it?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, obviously, we need to find it a home darling," Rarity remarked. "It can't possibly survive on its own."

"But the real question is, who's it gettin' dropped on?" Applejack noted.

"That's where the debate starts," TD stated bluntly, knowing full well how this may end.

"Couldn't we just send it to an orphanage? That seems like the most responsible thing to do," Chuck stated.

"Ah'm sorry sugarcube, but the orphanage is full enough as it is," Applejack replied. "There's hardly enough room for the others who are already there."

"And that's even after I made it bigger," TD added.

"Okay, so what? We leave it on someone's doorstep? Yes, please take care of this creature that nobody knows anything about. Great idea," He clapped sarcastically.

"Hence the reason for this conversation," TD said. "We discuss the possible options, depending on who has room or not."

"Chuckie and I have already raised three kids," Pinkie said.

"Which means, we are retired from that scene," Her husband concluded.

"Okay... AJ?"

"Ah'm caring for the entire orphanage, so sorry," Applejack stated.

"Okay... Rarity?"

"Emerald has given us enough trouble, and she's our first, remember?" was the reply.

"Is this gonna go back to me and Twi?" he asked no one in particular.

"Do you really want to do that after raising two kids?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well..." TD started.

"We'd do it, but I don't think we're legally allowed to raise a kid," Thermidor noted, Diana beside him nodding in agreement.

"Does the law really apply in regards to a subspecies nobody knew existed until today?" Chuck asked.

"They meant as a couple that isn't married yet, and yes," Twilight answered.

"Well, do we know anyone outside this group then?" TD asked. "Maybe Tia would like it?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Chuck nodded.

"That'd be perfect!" Twilight exclaimed. "Celestia has always loved children."

"Then let's go see what her input is," TD suggested. "All in favor say 'aye' please."

"Aye." The Pie family said.

"Aye!" everyone else added.

"Unanimous, so let's go!" TD shouted enthusiastically. "Diana, get the baby!"

Diana nodded, and phased through a wall, returning moments later with the baby Changeling. Then TD snapped his fingers and they found themselves in front of Celestia, who had just started getting up from her throne.

"You have either the best timing or the worst, William," she chuckled.

"Regardless, we could use some... insight from you," TD stated as the baby was brought forth. Celestia looked with surprise.

"I heard about the attack, but I never heard about this..." she managed. "Where'd you find her?"

"One of the cocoons in Cicida's lair," Sugar Plum said.

"The poor thing..." Celestia whispered, already having compassion on the small Changeling.

"We don't seem to know where else to take her," TD spoke up, "And... well, we were hoping you could help."

Celestia looked to TD, then back to the baby, then a small smile spread on her face.

"I know what you're implying," she said, "And I'd be happy to."

She levitated the Changeling over to her, which caused it to gurgle happily, much to the joy of Celestia.

"AWW! SO CUTE!" Zach exclaimed, then shook his head for a moment, before giving a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm just a sucker for that."

"So... I guess we'll be seeing another cute one in this palace," TD stated, then yelped in pain as Twilight stomped her hoof on his foot. "What?! You can't deny that Tia's pretty cute when she- OW!"

"Keep it coming," Twilight said with a smirk, clearly enjoying herself. The others just giggled.

"You don't just call another dame cute, especially not in the same room as your wife," Chuck stated. "I mean, really."

"I didn't mean she was cute in that regards!" TD protested. "I meant in the motherly sense, like she's doing now!"

He gestured towards Celestia for emphasis, who was all but ignoring them as she played with the baby Changeling, who was laughing with absolute joy. Twilight looked to them, then smirked and stomped on TD's foot yet again.

"OW!" TD whined once more, this time falling to the ground while clutching his foot. "Why? Why? Why?"

"That's just so you'll remember to watch what you say when I'm around," Twilight stated, still smirking.

"Still can't believe they've been married longer than us. Such a rookie move." Chuck remarked with a grin.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think we should give Aunt Tia some time with the new baby," Zach suggested. "She and the baby seem to be quite attached to each other already."

"But what is she gonna call her?" Diana asked. Celestia seemed to hear this, because she paused and looked her over. Then she smiled.

"Sunshine," she said. "She's my little Sunshine."

"Well, I've heard worst-" TD started, but stopped when he noticed Twilight glaring down at him again.

"He's not wrong. It's a pretty inappropriate name for a rainbow spider thing," Chuck stated.

"Well, then again, all the spider names I know of are either taken, sound ugly, or both," TD stated. "And because you've practically broken my foot, Twi, you're carrying me back. Consider this payback."

"Oh, I'll carry you back," she replied with an evil grin. "But just remember, you never specified how."

TD's eyes widened and he muttered, "Oh crap." No sooner had he finished than Twilight levitated him into the air with her magic and took off at a gallop, purposely lowering him to the ground just enough so he would bump everything that came her way.

"I regret this decision!" TD screeched before they disappeared completely.

"Well, I've got a cigar that's been waiting for me since Sugar Plum got captured. Let's go home family." Chuck said to his family as they all went for home. Celestia watched them leave, then chuckled once more.

"To think I would live to see this chapter in Equestria's history unfold," she said to herself, then returned her attention back to Sunshine. "What do you say Momma shows you around?"

The response was another giggle from the Changeling, making Celestia's heart fill with love for the young creature.

* * *

 **Well, Chrysalis is now dead... Such a shame.**

 **On the bright side, a new one has been brought into the circle of family in Equestria, and the series may or may not continue. Also, in case none of you noticed, the part with Zach and the fake Sugar Plum was my first ever attempt at the unicorn daughter of Chuck. I'm not sure if I did well, but then again Changelings always have this tendency to be terrible at acting. Or at least the bad ones. XD**

 **Thanks _Impressionsguy_ for helping out, and I'll cya guys in the next one! Adios!**


	40. Michael Watcher Comes Back

**"Michael returns, this time in Equestria! Ta da!"**

 **Thanks for coming in for this one** ** _Darkstalker728_** **! I hope you like this!**

 **Everyone else, hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

On the edges of the Everfree forest, a portal suddenly exploded into existence, releasing a shockwave of magical energy outwards from its location as a white pegasus shot out from it, landing as the portal disappeared. The stallion stood, snorting.

"Can't believe I overshot," He muttered, brushing his fiery red mane out of his eyes. His piercing blue eyes scanned his surroundings for a moment, then he closed them, a small smile crossing his face as he registered a ripple of recognizable magic somewhere close by.

"And it appears by missing my mark, I managed to come to the perfect place," The pegasus said with a grin, opening his eyes. He spread his wings, revealing his cutie mark; a shield with a sun on it.

"I hope I can find you quickly TD," He said, before leaping into the air and flying towards Ponyville. Once he was in sight of Ponyville, the pegasus was amazed to see that the quiet town had increased a bit in size; it was almost a quarter the size of Canterlot now. And the reason for that seemed to be the larger population, which was obvious to see even from the ground. In the center of the town, the Castle of Friendship glistened and sparkled in the sunlight. Just on the outside of the town, a large nest-like Changeling hive could be seen, with hundreds of Changelings flying to, from, and around the hive as they carried out their activities. In the grass outside the hive, several young Changelings, a few of them still larvae, played with some pony children in games of catch or tag. A peaceful, even beautiful sight to this world.

"Hey down there!" a voice called from above him. The pegasus looked up to see another pegasus stallion resting on a cloud just a bit higher than he was flying. This pegasus was a blue and green striped color with a red mane and tail. One wing was a solid green, the other a solid blue, and both seemed to be a bit larger than average pegasus wings; almost like alicorn wings. His Cutie Mark was a cauldron, suggesting a kind of alchemy-related talent. But most shocking about the figure was his eyes. They were a purple color and they were not pony eyes, but draconic in appearance. The draconic eyes glowed slight in the shadow that was created by the sun on his back above, and they were filled with a gentle, caring look. And even from their current distance from each other... The pegasus could feel the same familiar magic rippling off this dragon-eyed resident, as well as a second familiar energy. The pegasus blinked, before flying up to the cloud where the other pegasus rested. He landed lightly on the cloud, folding his wings.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for someone," he said. "My name's Sunrise Shield, and I need the help of a particular person."

"Certainly," the other pegasus replied. "Who are you looking for?"

Sunrise Shield grinned as he recalled the person. "An old friend. His name's TD."

"You mean my dad?" the other pegasus asked with a smile. "Probably in the Castle." He extended his hoof to Sunrise. "Name's Zachary Sparkle. But please, call me Zach."

Sunrise grinned, taking Zach's hoof. "Nice to meet you Zach. Now, could you take me to your dad possibly?"

Zach nodded and lifted off from the cloud, flying down to the Castle with Sunrise in tow. Once inside, Zach led him through the halls to the room where the map of Equestria stood. Along with the map being bigger (Season 8 ref), there were a few extra chairs around the table as well. In one of them, staring at the map as if hoping for a reaction, was a red Changeling with orange eyes and yellow wings. Zach cleared his throat and the Changeling looked up at him.

"Dad, someone to see you," Zach said.

"Thanks Zach," the Changeling answered, giving the pegasus leave to exit the room. The Changeling erupted into a burst of light and was replaced by the human TD. He looked to Sunrise and smiled.

"How can I help you, sir?" he asked. He didn't seem to recognize him just yet.

"First off, good to see you again TD," Sunrise said, a grin on his face as his form changed into that of a human wearing jeans with ripped knees, a leather jacket, combat boots and a T-shirt. His different colored eyes glowed slightly as he tossed a silver coin up and down in the palm of his right hand, and a pair of dragon wings sprouted from his back. "Secondly, I need some help with a problem in my Equestria."

TD blinked, then laughed.

"Michael Watcher!" he exclaimed. "Wow, more to you than meets the eye, I see." He then looked serious. "What seems to be the problem?"

Michael grimaced as he scratched the back of his neck, his wings flaring slightly.

"Well, first there's the fact that there's currently a corrupted unicorn trying to take over my world." He said slowly. "I managed to lure her to the ruins of the castle of the two sisters, but during the fight she hit me pretty hard and when I tried to teleport back to Ponyville I overshot... to here." He added wryly.

TD smiled. "Then we'd better get on back to your world. I've sensed the magic from that world off you, so I may be able to pinpoint the jump precisely to where you need to be."

"And where would that be precisely?" a voice asked him, causing TD to turn around and see who had spoken.

"Oh, hi Twi!" he greeted. "I'm needed in another world it seems."

"Again?" Twilight groaned. "This'll be the fourth time you've postponed our date! Are you hiding something from me?"

She snorted in anger and for whatever reason, Michael noticed that TD seemed to be scared of her when she was mad.

"No, or else I'd be more discreet," TD stated. "Look, I promise I'll be back in time for our date. Okay?"

Twilight sighed. "I'll hold you to that."

"When have you not?" TD asked, not expecting an answer.

Michael grinned, before returning to his pony form. "Let's get going then."

TD snapped his fingers and they disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

"Hmm... interesting," TD commented upon entering the other Equestria.

Michael looked at him dryly. "If you're done sightseeing, we have a corrupted unicorn to stop." He said, before turning and looking warily at the ruins of the castle of the two sisters.

"I don't like it." He muttered, his blue eyes darting around. "She was just right here."

"Maybe, she still is," TD said mysteriously. He then shouted, "Lok Vah Koor!"

A burst of energy erupted from his mouth as he used the Clear Skies shout combined with another spell of his to reveal the darkness if it was hidden nearby. A unicorn stepped out from behind a part of the ruins. With a cackle, she fired a blast of magic at them, and before it hit Michael returned to his human form, thrusting a hand out and causing a shield of energy to appear, deflecting the attack.

"Her name's Midnight Silver, but earlier she referred to herself as Eclipse," He growled at TD. "And if you'd like to help out, be free to." While he had been talking, Midnight had fired another blast of energy, and it was currently all Michael could do to keep the shield maintained.

TD smirked. "With pleasure." He looked at the unicorn and raised his hand, making a thrusting motion towards her.

"STOP!" He shouted, using one of his command spells. Midnight suddenly stopped firing her energy blasts and looked at TD. Her face was a mixture of anger and confusion, as if wondering why she had obliged to his command. Michael lowered the shield, flaring his wings out as he approached the unicorn.

"Midnight, we aren't here to harm you," He said slowly, holding a hand out. "We just want to help you."

Midnight looked away from TD right at Michael. The unicorn snorted In derision, before firing a blast of magic straight into Michael's chest. The human flew backwards, but flipped as he traveled through the air. He landed lightly on his feet, and when he looked up his eyes were no longer human eyes, but reptilian.

"So, that's how this is going to go." He hissed, before he rose, a forceful wave of magical energy shooting outwards from his wings as he flared them open. Midnight stumbled backwards as Michael closed on her, his eyes flickering with fury.

"Michael, wait!" TD called, using a spell to temporarily separate the two with a pillar of fire. "I can dispel the darkness within her, but I'll need you to NOT kill her in the process. We need to keep her still long enough, or weaken her at least."

Michael nodded, his anger diminishing as his eyes returned to normal.

"I can do that," He said, grinning, before he pointed at Midnight and said, "Malinthae!"

The unicorns eyes widened as unseen restraints suddenly closed around her legs, clamping her in place as a restraint also appeared around her mouth, keeping her from talking. With a snort of derision, Michael turned back to TD.

"If worse comes to wear, I can possibly control the darkness in her with my elemental magic and make it leave her," He said. "But that's a last resort. Last time I used darkness elemental magic..." He shuddered. "Well, I don't want to talk about it."

TD nodded, then knelt down and placed his hand on the unicorn's head. His hand glowed and her eyes suddenly went blank. Without faltering, TD started chanting in a strange tongue. It sounded dark and terrible, but it was still clear that he was trying to help her. As he chanted, streams of darkness appeared around his eyes and his blood vessels became visible with a dark look to them. After a few moments, he stopped and released Midnight, who seemed to be unconscious now.

"Now, the finishing touch," TD said in a dark voice, then in his normal voice, "From light comes darkness, and from darkness, light!"

A burst of energy left him and flew up into the sky, as the darkness subsided from him entirely and his image returned to normal. He sighed with relief, then looked to Midnight.

"She should be fine now," he said. "Give her some time to rest, and she'll be back in shape in no time."

Michael nodded, before bringing one of his wings around in front of him. He grabbed one of the scales, and with a hiss of pain pulled it off. He held the scale out to TD.

"Thanks for the help TD. If you ever need me, just touch the scale and say the word 'Ethgri.' I'll hear it and come as fast as I can," Michael said, and as he spoke he drove a small fraction of his magic into the scale so that it would always be able to signal to him.

"My pleasure," TD replied. "But it's not over yet. If you'd like, we can track the darkness down to its source; see where it's coming from, and maybe destroy that source if possible."

He nodded. "With my luck, it'll be one of those cursed shards of sundavr I tried to destroy a long time ago." He growled. "They're crystals imbued with the power of darkness and able to manifest ones darkest fear if they're close enough. The weak of mind they corrupt and use as a host to try and spread their area of influence."

He knelt, placing one hand on the ground, before murmuring "Deloi, moi sundavr."

He felt his energy decrease slightly, before he let go of the spell. He looked up at TD.

"They've hidden their trail good this time. I couldn't pick it up like I did with all the others I hunted."

"Well, a trick I've learned when hunting the Darkness is to look where you'd expect it last," TD said with a smile. "It can hide in plain sight and seem alright, but there's always a slight signal."

TD closed his eyes and muttered something in the same dark language from before. He then opened his eyes and looked to Michael.

"Another trick I can exploit, being a villain myself once, is make the Darkness think I'm trying to locate it in an attempt to increase my power," he explained. "And I've learned to see even the smallest details. In other words, I think I've picked up a signal. It's well hidden and seems insignificant, but looks can be deceiving." TD pointed at the castle still before them. "In there, our culprit hides."

Michael looked at TD with a hard look in his eyes. "These aren't something to joke about. They will show you your darkest fears, your worst nightmares, in an attempt to corrupt you. I have seen worlds fall because of ones that were the size of a pebble." He said, his voice cold as he swung his axe by his side, the blade glowing silver.

"These things... they're worse then the tantabus," He growled, his eyes glowing bright.

"I don't doubt it," TD answered, "but I also like to be a bit optimistic at times. That, and this is how I usually tend to approach such problems."

Michael snorted. "Believe me, I know how you approach problems like this." With a mutter, his eyes flared up, before he cast a look at TD. "In fact, I was actually assigned a second mission that I've now abandoned because of an unexpected event."

"Ooo! A second mission! What was it?" TD asked, his eyes lighting up like an excited child's. He looked at TD, his glowing eyes burning bright.

"It was you, Terror of Dimensions," He said flatly. "You remember how I told you a while ago that you needed to be better at gaining information on opponents?"

TD now looked confused. "Me? What about me?"

"I was tasked to hunt you down, but by the time I located you you had reformed," Michael said, glancing away. "I was disappointed at first, but as far as the people who tasked me on this mission know, I haven't found you yet." He glanced back at TD. "I made a judgement call. And that call was to not capture you, even though you had reformed."

"Wait..." TD stared off into space for a moment as his mind was brought back to a past event, an event that had occurred long before his arrival in his own Equestria.

* * *

 **Flashback**

TD smirked as the bounty hunters surged in on his location. They had followed him to a remote world that was a close reminiscent of Earth... if Earth was dominated by plant-like lifeforms. For on this planet was something TD wanted, and the bounty hunters were trying to stop him from reaching it.

TD flashed his evil smile at the bounty hunters as they aimed their weapons at him.

"Terror of Dimensions-" a voice called on a megaphone.

"TD, if you don't mind," the chaotic human interrupted. "It's easier for both of us that way."

"-you are charged with multiple violations of the space/time continuum!" the voice continued. "If your madness continues, you could destroy the very fabrics of existence itself! Surrender now, and you will be spared!"

TD laughed. In his eyes, these people were nothing compared to his power.

"I got what I came for anyways," he said aloud, holding out a large ruby-like gem in his hand. The bounty hunters hesitated when they saw it, as if scared of what he may do with it. Seeing an opportunity, TD released a shockwave of magic upon them, knocking them all off their feet.

"And since I don't have time to stay and chat, I'll simply leave you a farewell gift!" TD cackled. He then raised his arms and chanted a spell.

" _Ravage the lands as never before!  
Total destruction, from mountain to shore!"_

As soon as he had finished, chaos erupted across the entire planet, and as the bounty hunters rushed for cover, TD smiled and opened a portal with the intent of leaving. However, just before the portal closed on him, he noticed a particular figure rushing at him: a human with dragon wings and wielding an ice-based spell. Just before he was in reach of TD, the portal closed, leaving an entire planet endangered by the destruction TD had left behind...

* * *

Back in the present, TD looked to Michael with disbelief.

"It was you!" he exclaimed. "All those years, I was running... from you!" He was silent, then asked, "How long have you known?"

Since the arena," Michael muttered. "Now, realize that as soon as you step into range of that shard, it will show you your worst fears and nightmares... and knowing your history and current life, there is a lot it has to feed off of." Michael narrowed his eyes at the ruins. "Me on the other hand... I've faced all my nightmares and fears before."

"It won't be easy, I'll admit, but you worry too much about me," TD stated. "I get too much from Twilight as it is. The only difference is I can afford to have her worried for me, because she's my wife."

"And I have to worry because what happens to me if something happens to you while you're helping me?" He said wryly.

"What? You think I'm gonna attack you?" TD asked, grinning. "Now that would be something worth-"

He abruptly stopped and looked around with an angered expression, some magic charged up in his palms.

"We're not alone," he muttered. "I just sensed something or someone nearby."

Michael narrowed his eyes, before crouching. "Well then, let's see what happens then." He growled. "And if it comes down to it, I'll go after the shard."

TD didn't answer, but kept peering through the shadows as he scanned for an enemy. He soon noticed something in his peripheral vision and cursed; at the same time, a kind of fog suddenly started rolling into the room from an open corridor.

"Fog Lurkers," he said, almost inaudibly. Michael narrowed his eyes, before bringing his hand up his hand and snapping "Brisingr!" A ball of fire flickered into appearance, and he glanced at TD.

"Don't look them in the eyes when that fog hits us," TD warned. "They'll swarm you all at once, and once they do, even I can't escape them alive. Also, once the fog hits, they'll try to lure you into looking at them by taking the voices of others; usually those close to you. Do not fall for their tricks."

Michael snorted. "TD, I have a talent for ignoring things. Plus, I can race off faster then they can keep up probably."

"You'd be wrong and dead by then," was the answer. "I personally created these things in the past, hoping to make the ultimate army. But what I created was a monster pack that even their own creator cannot survive from once in their clutches." TD shuddered. "I technically died trying to escape them once. Me, the most powerful being in existence. But... there is no escape from them. You either ignore them and survive, or look at them and die."

By then, the fog had rolled over them and immediately a chorus of voices started to call to them from the fog. Some were recognizable, the voices of friends or family; others were alien to them, a stranger crying for help in the sea of voices. TD ignored them all; although at one point, some voices, all of them female, called to him to come back to them or asked him why he betrayed them. This caused him to clench his fists tightly and a few tears escaped him, splashing to the floor. Michael growled, before he swung his axe in an overhead arc, slamming it into the ground and sinking the head in all the way, before concentrating on his elemental magic as a slight breeze started to pick up.

"What are you doing?" TD asked the other human, a slight tone of fear in his voice. "If you attack one of them, it'll activate the entire horde."

"I'm not attacking," he hissed. The wind died down, before he growled in an undertone, "Does teleportation work against them? Cause I found the exact location of the shard."

"It does, thankfully," TD answered. "But only if you haven't activated the horde, because they're usually fast enough to grab you before the teleportation takes place." A Lurker got uncomfortably close to TD, who growled and pushed it aside without looking it in the eyes. "Get us out of here before I forget what they are and kill one of them."

Michael nodded, before gripping the handle of his axe tight as he got ready to teleport.

"Be ready for the shard to show you your worst fears and nightmares," He hissed before he teleported them both away from the Fog Lurkers. When they looked around again, TD laughed.

"The irony," he said. "This is the room with the organ that Pinkie found. Or are we even past that episode in this Equestria? All I know is I'm like post-Season 7 or 8 in my own."

Michael looked at TD. "Last I checked, this world deviates from the storyline after the events of the movie." He said. With a grunt, he pulled his axe out of the ground.

"Well, mine did too," TD replied. "But because of my entrance and because it's an alternate universe, there were a few events that you don't see in the show. Also, I may have accidentally caused the events of the MLP Movie to appear a Season too early." He shrugged. "I didn't know it was supposed to come **_after_** Season 7. Oh well! That's why this is called an AU, readers."

Michael blinked once at TD, before shrugging. "Well, with my luck, my friend will keep that event far from the natural course of the storyline," He muttered, before pointing to a part of the room where a glowing blackish-blue crystal hovered about two feet off the ground. "That's it."

"With the exception of that thing you told me about it showing you your fears and whatnot, this seems too easy," TD noted. "And when something seems too easy, that usually spells trouble."

Michael grinned, before making an exaggerated bow.

"After you then, TD." He said, a cocky grin on his face as he charged his elemental magic into his axe. TD chuckled, then made a sigh as he approached the shard.

"Okay, you can do this..." he said to himself, then got closer to the crystal. Once he was almost within arm's reach of it, he suddenly cried out in surprise and his eyes shone a white color. Michael crouched as he approached, muttering something under his breath as his eyes started to narrow, at the same time the edge of his axe glowing with bright silver light. TD, meanwhile, seemed to be seeing something Michael couldn't and he made a slight whimper.

"No... no!" TD shouted. "Don't let me see her die! Not again!" He sounded desperate. "What will I do without her?!"

With a growl, Michael hissed, "Okay, enough of that." He brought his axe up an threw it at the crystal, the blade glowing brighter as it spun through the air until it slammed into the shard, exploding it in a flash of light as the axe fell to the ground. TD immediately lost his trance and looked about him.

"I didn't realize... it'd be that one..." he said softly. Michael held out his hand, and his axe flew back into it, lacking a solid smacking sound as it connected with his palm.

"Yeah, you totally had that," He said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Need I remind you that you're the one who told me to go first?" TD asked with just as much sarcasm. "Still," he added with a gentler tone, "I underestimated my capabilities as well as the shard's. One of my many flaws. Sue me."

"Nah, I won't." He said, grinning. "It would have been able to protect itself if you hadn't distracted it. Remember," Michael tapped his temple, "I wouldn't have sent you into anything that wouldn't end up with a positive outcome. That's one good thing about being able to see every future."

"Ah, so you're one of THOSE guys," TD said with interest. "Nice! I haven't seen someone with the gift of foresight in forever."

"I haven't run into anyone with it yet," Michael said, flipping his axe and catching it as it turned into a coin.

"Well, you have now," TD replied with a grin. "I possess some form of it. Not as great as yours maybe, but it's something."

"Cool," He said, before adding. "Remember my pony form, Sunrise Shield? That's not my actual pony form; I can duplicate other ponies form like a changeling. I can show you my real pony form if you'd like."

"Knock yourself out if you must," TD remarked. "It doesn't matter to me."

He grinned, before his form shifted into that of an alicorn, his skin a paleish yellow color and his mane and tail were red streaked with orange. His eyes were now a dark blue, and his cutie mark was a sword of fire. TD couldn't help but laugh.

"How did I know it'd be a stereotypical OC look?" he joked before admiring the image."Looks nice man."

"Thanks," He grunted. "And just so you know, I couldn't decide between flight or magic."

"Never stopped Zach or Starlight before," TD noted. "They have achieved both, despite supposedly being only able to have one or the other as their special ability."

Michael rolled his eyes, before turning his form into that of Sunrise Shield. "Say, TD, mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?" TD asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't really get much action here, and it's driving me crazy," Michael said slowly. "I was wondering if it would be okay for me to stay in your world a while?"

TD chuckled. "I guarantee it'll be any less boring, but sure! Pinkie always likes new visitors, and maybe you could become part of my elite squad."

Michael (or Sunrise Shield) grinned, his blue eyes twinkling slightly. "Well, if there is one thing I know about Pinkie and new visitors, it means that there's usually a party involved, and I highly doubt a Pinkie Pie thrown party counts as boring." He said, laughing. "You want to take us there or should I?"

"Save your energy, mate," TD said. With a snap of his fingers, they disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing in a throne room where Celestia was just entering from another room. At first, Michael thought TD had overshot, until he noticed the small creature levitating in front of the alicorn that he had never seen back in the other Equestria.

"Do you have to teleport into the throne room every time, William?" Celestia asked TD with a giggle.

"No, but it's the more convenient place... most of the time," TD replied. He then walked over to the little creature, which seemed to be some kind of baby Changeling. "How's little Sunshine doing?"

The baby giggled with glee upon seeing the human and a tiny mismatched hoof booped his nose.

"Hey, that's my job!" TD teased her. Michael took a deep breath in, before he glanced around, taking in the details of the throne room to see if anything was different, before walking up to TD and asking softly, "Can I trust her to keep my true identity a secret? I kind of want to keep a low profile for now."

"You can tell her," TD answered. "She knows a lot of things."

"I even know what you really are, Michael Watcher," Celestia added with a smirk. "I'm a bit mischievous that way."

Michael blinked, before turning his head and staring at TD."How... 4th wall... THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!" He stammered, at a loss for words. TD and Celestia just laughed at his confusion, then TD spoke again.

"I've learned that Tia is full of surprises," he stated. Sunshine gave a little curious noise and TD looked to her, then back to his friend. "Oh, Michael. Meet Sunshine, Celestia's new daughter. We found her in a hostile Changeling hive and Tia decided to adopt her. She's the last of her kind from what we know."

Sunshine turned her head to Michael, all eight of her eyes regarding him with wonder. Then she made a happy gurgle and clapped her hooves together. Michael smiled.

"Well, if she knows everything I may as well just stop the act," He said wryly, before changing to his true form, flaring his wings out once before folding them against his back. Celestia made a small look over at his form.

"Apart from William and his brother, I have seen very few humans in my life. Or close approximates to humans for that matter," she said. "It's always a pleasure to meet one face to face." She extended her hoof. "Welcome to our Equestria, Michael."

Michael grinned, taking her hoof and shaking it.

"Thank you Celestia. It's a pleasure to be here," He said, before he let go of her hoof and pulled his coin from his pocket, fidgeting with it by rolling it across the backs of his fingers.

"I hope you don't mind," TD said to him, "but the only places we have available for the time being is either here in Canterlot or down near the sea with the hippogriffs. But in all honesty, you're more than welcome to build your residence anywhere. I hear the Everfree is nice this time of year... according to Zecora."

He grinned. "Well, I have tended to stay around the edges of the Everfree anyways... I think I can make something along its edges close to Ponyville." He glanced at Celestia. "Would that be alright?"

"That would be fine," Celestia answered. "Although, if you must know, that's mostly Twilight and TD's area of concern these days."

"Knock yourself out man," TD stated. "But be careful not to hurt our Timberwolf friend, Plank."

"I won't." Michael said, before grinning as he changed forms back to Sunrise Shield. "I think I should probably try to find a place to start building. TD, you mind teleporting us there? I need to build up my energy so that I can create my house?"

"Sure," TD replied, then to Tia, "Cya around. Take care, you two cuties!" He then added, "Don't tell Twi I said that."

Celestia giggled loudly, snorting a bit as well. TD sighed and teleported Michael and himself to the edge of Everfree, some ways outside of Ponyville.

"This should do it," he said happily. Michael nodded, glancing around, before changing back to his human form and kneeling, placing one hand on the ground, extending his senses into the ground below. He glanced at TD.

"I'd back up if I were you," He said. "Things are about to get crazy."

With his warning given, he concentrated, and the ground started to churn as wood and stone started shooting out of it, writhing and cracking over one another. TD was amazed at the display he was witnessing.

"Whoooooa," he chuckled. "This. Is. Awesome!"

"Thanks," Michael muttered, before everything stopped moving and he stood to admire his work: a nice two story stone-walled cottage with a wooden roof in front of them. "Done."

"I'm feeling slightly envious right now," TD joked as he admired the building before them. Michael stood, shrugging before he changed his form into Sunrise's.

"Well, I guess I'll see you sometime," He said as he went to the door. "Your kids are welcome to come and visit me anytime they want."

"I'll keep that in mind," TD answered with a smile. "And Michael..." TD's expression changed to one of gratitude. "Thanks for not turning me in. It... means a lot to me."

He looked TD straight in the eyes, his bright blue eyes as Sunrise Shield disappearing for a second as his different colored eyes came through, before the blue eyes were back.

"TD," Michael said, his voice soft, "I would never turn in someone who doesn't deserve it. And if anyone tries to harm you or your family, you have my word that I will be there to help."

TD smiled. "Well, thank goodness."

With a snap of his fingers, he disappeared from sight, just as a rustling occurred from the trees nearby and a large Timberwolf walked out of it, beaming what almost could be seen as a friendly smile. Michael glanced at the Timberwolf, before dipping his head respectively. Without a second thought, he changed back to his true form, opening the door of the cottage as he flipped his coin, catching his axe before hanging it on the wall next to the door on the inside. With a wave of his arm, furniture and accessories appeared in the house, furnishing it. The Timberwolf watched with interest, but also with a manner that suggested he had seen such feats before. He wagged his tail and made some marks in the grass with his paws. After he was done, he gestured to the marks, which made up some form of writing.

 _"Me Plank,"_ the marks read. _"Welcome, friend."_ Michael glanced back, and grinned, before walking outside and crouching.

"Can you talk, or do you communicate in some way other than writing?" He asked, extending his mind unconsciously to remain aware of all that was around him so nothing could surprise him. Plank scratched out his original writing and made another sentence.

 _"No talk, but I understand what you say. Dad speak through telepathy. U have paper and writing utensil?"_

Michael blinked, before he pulled a pad of paper out of his jacket and opened to the first page, tapping it and causing a pencil to appear. Plank gently took the pencil in his mouth and started to write with it. Afterwards, he let Michael read the sentence.

"My dad is called Zach. Adoptive relationship. Learn to read and write through him. Me only nice Timberwolf. Others mean."

Michael grinned. He glanced at his cottage, before turning back to Plank.

"Well, nice to meet you Plank. My name's Michael, and I'm going to be living here now. Maybe I can get to know you more at a later date, but right now there's something I need to do. Is that okay?"

Plank nodded and walked out the door towards Ponyville, not bothering to hide himself from the eyes of the ponies. This would've been unnecessary anyways, as the residents there who saw him seemed well acquainted with him. Michael sighed, before standing and walking into his cottage. He closed the door, and with a flick of his hand the lock turned. He went and sat down in the only chair on the bottom floor currently, which was a wooden armchair. He leaned forwards and rubbed his face with his hands, wincing as he felt a headache start to manifest. With an immense effort, he sat back, trying to relax even though his head was pounding...

* * *

 **Ooo, what may be the cause of such pounding? We'll have to wait and see...**

 **Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll cya next time.**


	41. Underworld Travels

**This is something I conjured up after an idea given to me by my friend** _ **Admirer Boy**_ **.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey Chuck? Chuck!" Twilight called from outside the Changeling hive near Ponyville. She was feeling a little impatient at the moment, for her husband was pulling something that she wasn't entirely sure about and it involved her friend Pinkie Pie. Knowing that Chuck would want to be informed of the problem, Twilight had approached the hive to search for the monarch in question.

"Chuck's in 'is lounge ma'am." A changeling guard informed her.

"Thank you," she nodded and trotted inside the hive to find him. Compared to most other Changeling hives she had seen, the interiors were rather nice to look at. But considering that one of her best friends was the queen of the hive, it wasn't too surprising to notice. After walking for a few moments, Twilight found what she knew to be the lounge. She could tell because of the music playing inside. Not wanting to simply barge into the room, Twilight knocked on the door first.

"That's probably the cops... where am I gonna hide this stuff...?" She could hear him mutter. After hearing what sounded like the garbage disposal whirring, the door opened and Chuck leaned against the doorway. "Hi officer, is there a- oh great, I just threw all that out for nothing." He remarked, seeing Twilight.

"There's not much I'd be able to do anyways Chuck," Twilight replied, a small smile on her face. "Even though you're in my area, it's your hive, your rules." She then asked, "Did William ever tell you anything about a journey to some spirit realm?"

"The 'ell is a spirit realm? That sounds a little fruity," Chuck admitted. "Or is that like a religious thing?" He asked. "Long story short, the answer is no."

"Well apparently, according to your wife, he's traveling to one such area now. And she's going with him," Twilight stated.

"If she comes back with any pamphlets about the Spirit Realm they are going straight in the trash." Chuck grumbled. "Y- Y- Y'know what, better yet, I'm going to make sure she doesn't bring any back. Where are they now?" He asked.

"Putting lipstick on each other so they can kiss it off," Twilight muttered sarcastically. "Where do you think they'd be? The one and only place you're likely to find them at. My castle."

"No need to be rude, we've literally only had like six conversations since we've met, and you chose for the seventh one you'd be rude. Okay. Wow." Chuck sneered.

"It's been more than seven, Chuck," Twilight grumbled. "And right now, my patience is a bit thin, thanks to something that wasn't your fault. Now, are you coming or what?"

"Well, it couldn't have been much more. I'll say twelve conversations at the most. But yes, yes I'm coming," He said. "Wait, what's got you in a fit?" He asked.

"Another one of William's pranks intended for Rarity. And guess who got hit instead?" she stated as they started trotting towards the Castle of Friendship.

"What was the prank?" He asked.

"Apparently, a nagging duster," she snorted. "Honestly, he couldn't think of something better? And why Rarity in particular?"

"I know! Especially when I can think of so many others that prank would work better for," He replied with a chuckle.

"I think he and Rarity have some kind of grudge with each other or something," Twilight commented as they entered the Castle. When they did, almost immediately, they heard something crash inside and Pinkie's voice cry out, "Ouch! That's my tail!"

"Oh dear! Sorry Pinkie!" TD's voice called out. "Hold still please. I don't want to accidentally pull the tail off with the pitchfork."

"On second thought, I feel like I might be too hungover for the rest of this chapter," Chuck remarked, hearing what was happening.

 _And I didn't even drink last night,_ He thought to himself. Twilight didn't say anything, but simply trotted into the lounge room where TD was busy trying to pull a pitchfork out of Pinkie's tail. She had apparently decided to go with her pony disguise for the antic, but that had clearly been a bad choice.

"You know..." TD commented as he tugged on the pitchfork, "This... almost... looks like... I'm using... a calf-puller!"

"That doesn't sound very nice at all," Pinkie noted. "What's it f- OW!"

The pitchfork came out, only to have TD go flying backwards and hitting a wall behind him. The pitchfork got stuck in the wall and when TD noticed this, he sighed.

"I'll fix that later," he grumbled, then noticed Twilight and Chuck in the doorway. "Oh, hey guys. What's up?"

"I was just coming to check out what weird cult you're getting involved in. Surprisingly there's a lot less cloaks, Kool Aid, and group suicide than I pictured," Chuck remarked.

"Kool Aid? Group Suicide? What kind of crazy 4th world do you think I come from?" TD remarked.

"Never mind," Twilight intervened. "William, what are you doing? And why is Pinkie Pie involved?"

"Well, he wanted to visit the spirit realm so he could talk to the people in his past, but when I heard I just HAD to ask him if I could come along and see if I could see Mom and Dad again, so I asked him if I could come too. I even gave him the big puppy eyes and when I did that, he just couldn't resist and said I could come..." Pinkie rambled on.

"Actually, I COULD resist that face," TD stated. "I own a dog back on Earth that practically gives me that face all the time because of how spoiled she is."

"Wait, that's the spirit realm? Like, a retirement home for the dead?" Chuck asked. "Still sounds like a better place to visit than Wisconsin." He smirked.

"Well, this is a different one," TD explained. "You've heard of the Underworld, right? Well, this is kinda like a version of the Underworld that every soul in existence is allowed to travel to and visit their loved ones or whatnot." He shrugged. "I thought I could meet some souls of my past and make peace with them, and when Pinkie came around... well... She never really knew her parents, how can you say no to her?"

"Like, every soul? Like I could finally have a conversation with John Candy or go to lunch with Robin Williams?" Chuck asked.

"Eh, it's possible," TD admitted. "You just have to be in the right place at the right time, I suppose. Or schedule ahead of time."

"Ehh I could always settle for martinis with Frank Sinatra if they aren't there." He then turned to his wife. "Only after I meet my in-laws of course." He chuckled. "As long as it don't turn out like the last time we did that."

"You already met Hornet, and he liked you!" Pinkie giggled.

"Did he though?" Chuck asked.

"If he didn't, he probably would've... dethroned you rather early, even before we knew he was her dad," Twilight stated.

"Cant argue with that logic," TD agreed. "So, you wanna get the show on the road?"

"I've got a feeling where we're going we don't need road," Chuck stated. "Figure of speech, I know."

"I'll take that as yes!" TD remarked. He then started singing a song, which made Twilight sigh when she heard the first few lyrics.

 **TD:** _37 years ago, a witch done put a spell on me..._

"And, it's that song," Twilight sighed.

 **TD:** _...A spell where when I'm talkin', I'm singing it with glee.  
_ _When you're always singin', you like to live alone.  
That's why I made this mountain shack my home!_

"This isn't a shack, this is a-" Pinkie began.

 **TD:** _When you're on the mountain, there's lots to be a-feared  
That's why this here old mountain goat's prepared!_

 _*yodeling... or whatever that thing is he does*_

"Man, that stuff's hitting me harder than that kid Sandbar told me it would," Chuck remarked. "Maybe it's for the best I got rid of the rest."

"No no, this is happening," Pinkie told him.

 **TD:** _I've got horns that open bottles, and I've got horns that hold my keys  
I've got horns that when you turn them right, they help me watch TV  
I've got horns that open pickle jars and horns that come with hair  
I've got horns that hang my other horns; I always come prepared_

"Can you just do the-" Twilight started.

 **TD:** _Be prepared, be prepared.  
This lesson must be shared  
This lesson must be shared: be prepared  
Be prepared, be prepared.  
And unless you've got a spare,  
You've got one life so handle it with care!_

TD suddenly clapped his hands together and they all found themselves in a minecart, going through a portal he summoned.

 **TD (spoken):** _Keep your hands and feet inside of the vehicle at all times!  
*yodeling*_

On the other side, they found themselves going down a railway set through some mountings. It was almost like a roller coaster, and apparently even Twilight, despite how she had felt about the song, couldn't help screaming with joy as they went up and down the rails.

"I'm going to be sick, unless I'm going to die! Eh, good thing I'm going where dead people apparently go anyway," Chuck remarked, clutching his gut. Just then, they all heard an explosion and they looked up to see an avalanche approaching. The minecart began to move faster and TD started singing quickly.

 **TD:** _Ooohhh..._  
 _An avalanche is comin' down; I do not feel prepared!_  
 _It's thunderin' like a mountain lion; I must say that I'm scared._  
 _And if not for the witch's spell, you'd hear just how I scream._  
 _But since I'm only singin', I'll just yodel 'till we're creamed!_

 _*yodeling*_

As the avalanche got closer and closer, a portal suddenly opened ahead of them and they flew through it with many a scream. When they opened their eyes, they found that they were standing on some kind of stone floor with TD flying above them with some kind of helicopter thingy in his hand.

"I was prepared!" he laughed. "Also, thank you everyone for bearing through that reference!"

"I'll never complain about the obscure references in Equestria's New Comedian again, at least they've never hurt my stomach," Chuck muttered. "Self promotion at it's finest."

"I agree though; don't EVER do that again!" Twilight shouted at TD as he landed.

"No promises, not even for you dear," he chuckled, then looked around. They were inside some odd kind of limbo where only the stone floor could be seen. Anything else was simply darkness for as far as the eye could see. The only other feature they could see was a wooden desk with a midget-sized version of the Grimm Reaper standing at the desk. When he noticed them, he sighed in a somewhat squeaky voice.

"This better not be you asking me for a favor in regards to someone dying," the tiny Reaper stated a bit rudely. "I got too many problems in that regard from Conker's Bad Fur Day."

"A game that is definitely not for kids," TD quipped, then said more seriously to the small Reaper, "Look buddy, I need access to the 25th wing. We've got some souls of the past we wish to meet."

The Reaper looked at TD, and while his face was literally nothing more than a skull that couldn't show any emotions on it, they could've sworn that he was giving TD a curious look.

"You've got some weird relatives, don't you?" he asked, maybe a bit sourly.

"Him," Chuck looked to his wife. "I like him. He is now one of my closest friends." He pointed to the reaper. "I am leaving everything to him when I die. Ivory doesn't get zip."

"Why was Ivory getting everything!?" Pinkie asked.

"She guessed the number I was thinking of," He replied.

"Do I know you?" the Reaper asked. "Wait... hold on."

He pulled out some kind of clipboard and scrolled through it, then found what he was looking for.

"Ah, that's right," he said. "Gareth Murphy Pie. Prefers the name 'Chuck', has undergone a total of two species transformations in his life, and currently lives as the king of a Changeling hive." He gave a whistle, somehow. "Boy, and I thought rabbits liked to multiply."

"You forgot to mention that I set the world record for 'most curse words yelled after stubbing one's toe', bu otherwise that's just about right. And to think I only used my favorite one twice in all of that," Chuck stated.

"Well, you're one of those so-called 'special cases,' which I absolutely HATE having to deal with. Just makes my job harder," the Reaper grumbled, then in a more cheerful voice, "But, I think I like you too, so I think I can make an exception in that area. Same goes for your wife and kids. The first batch, that is; I can'y do any favors for the thousands of others-"

"Look, are you gonna open the wing or not?" Twilight interrupted.

"No one asked me if I wanted this job, lady!" the Reaper snapped at her, pulling out a lever and setting it on the desk. "I just got what was leftover, as usual."

He pulled the lever and a light appeared in the distance, as if shining through an opening door.

"Please stay on the designated paths in there for the best results. Otherwise, enter at your own risk," the Reaper said, slumping down at his desk.

"Thanks," TD said. "And I hope you're still not mad at me for that incident with the Ring of Fire."

"Oh, no hard feelings at all," the Reaper stated sarcastically. "You only made me stay 24 hours AFTER my shift was supposed to be over!"

"Jeez man, doing that to the poor guy, that goes against just about every code of ethics I know!" Chuck remarked.

"Chuck, for the record, I never intended to have that happen to Greg," TD stated. "If I did, I would've made sure it was ten times worst."

"And your times before you were reformed weren't? You little p****!" the Reaper countered, his last word getting censored. When it did, he sighed again. "Of course that'd be there. You and that stupid spell, and that stupid author trying to keep your story at a T rating."

Hey, I work hard on this stuff, Greg!

"Wait, your name is Greg?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Yes. Don't you dare laugh," Greg replied.

"Don't make fun of the guy's name," Chuck scolded. "And give him a break. I haven't had the pleasure of actually hearing myself swear in years. I can't even say my favorite one anymore."

Greg laughed, and it was an actual laugh of happiness, something that TD had apparently not expected because he jumped a bit when he heard it.

"Now I definitely like you," Greg said to Chuck. "Tell you what, special case or not, if you or any of your first batch happen to see me down here or wherever they end up, I'll give each of you a maximum of three free chances to go back." He then added as if it was something he was required to say, "Please use them sparingly, and remember that it is still possible for you to die while they're in effect." He gave Chuck a shrug. "I'm required to say that part. According to the powers that be. I'm just doing my job, and I don't get paid well for it either."

"Thanks," He nodded. "See? Pays not to be a knob to people." He smirked, inside wanting to end himself for using 'knob' when there were so many better words to use.

"Can we just go please?" Twilight pleaded. "I'm feeling a little nervous standing around Greg for this long. No offense."

"None taken," Greg replied, and it sounded like he meant it. Just then, in a flash of black fire, another Grim Reaper appeared, and when he saw who it was, TD let out a laugh.

"No way... The Grim Adventures of Bill and Mandy have returned!" he chuckled. The Reaper that appeared, Grim, ignored him and walked over to Greg.

"Okay Greg, your shift is up," he said. "You can go back to your own underworld now."

"Really? I'm not scheduled to be back for at least another immortal hour," Greg remarked. "Besides, I don't want to deal with those cats again. I just hate the way they meow and they piss everywhere, and... well, they have NINE LIVES!" He sighed, then seemed to get an idea. "Uh, you think I could tag along for a while? Got nothing better to do, and it'll be a good excuse to keep an eye on Mr. Blow-the-Galaxy-Skyhigh."

"What do you think I'm gonna do? Take over the Underworld?" TD scoffed.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Chuck muttered.

"Oh, bite me!" TD remarked, and he started walking towards the light that Greg had caused to appear earlier, with Twilight following in suit.

"Typical," Grim stated as he sat at the desk. "Attacking the Kids Next Door wasn't good enough for him, so he moved on to something bigger. At least he's not as power hungry anymore." He then whispered to Chuck, "You may want to keep an eye on him down here. There's some... rather disturbing things that may haunt him. Also, I have a feeling that he's not just here for confronting his past."

"Oh really?" Greg muttered sarcastically. "Are you sure he's not simply playing Dungeons and Dragons: VR edition?"

"Why me? I've got crooners to gawk at and Nazis to curse at!" Chuck exclaimed. "But... I'll keep an eye out."

"I'll be there too Grim," Greg pointed out. He then noticed how far ahead TD and Twilight were. "Uh... we should probably head after them."

He started to walk towards them, but he wasn't going too fast with that over-sized sickle he carried. He looked back to them and seemed to get a sheepish look.

"Uh... you wouldn't mind giving me a ride, would you?" he asked.

"Hop on!" Pinkie said. Greg nodded and in a flash of light he made his sickle disappear then climbed onto Pinkie's back. Pinkie then trotted after TD and Twilight with Chuck following. Grim made a small laugh as they left.

"This should get interesting," he stated.

* * *

"'Designated paths' my boot!" TD complained as he barely avoided getting his foot chomped off by some kind of creepy plant-like mouth that sprouted from the middle of a kind of path they were standing on. It was shining brightly as if made of light, but it felt like a sidewalk or some other form of pavement to their feet. Even while staying on the path, however, a few nasty looking creatures had tried to take a snap at them.

"It's like a zoo for freaky demon things. Neat," Chuck remarked, taking pictures with his camera. "Next up, Florida; the zoo full of crazy white people."

"Hey, that's racism!" TD countered. "But you're right, some people down there are a bit crazy."

"One could almost argue that you're crazy," Twilight pointed out.

"Let them think I'm crazy. We know the truth," TD noted.

"On your left," Greg warned, causing Pinkie to turn her head and narrowly miss getting hit by a flying thorn bush (of all things). "I meant your other left."

"I know," Pinkie told him. "But I just noticed something really pretty over on my right."

"You mean the glittering skulls?" TD asked.

"Elton John, Neil Patrick Harris, Ian McKellen, Nathan Lane, Billy Eichner, and Jim Parsons can't all be dead yet!" Chuck remarked. "Look 'em up folks, you'll notice the common thread," He stated.

"Skulls or not, they ironically look rather pretty," Twilight commented.

"Rarity would not agree," TD chuckled.

"Neither would the one sorry sap that works here," Greg added. "Seen one glittering skull, seen all of them."

"Personally I think they're kind of the most boring thing I've seen yet," Chuck remarked. "Oh well, still going in the album." He said, taking a picture.

"And this is only the front door," TD said aloud. "The main attraction- oh, we're there!"

As he spoke, they found themselves standing at the doorway of some kind of large hall. The hall was insanely large, about the size of three or four football fields put together. The walls were made of shining gold, and the floor was a lovely checkered pattern of silver and obsidian. But the most breathtaking sight was the large number of ghost-like figures walking about the place. Human, pony, dragon, monster, and everything inbetween; all gathering into one place.

"Sweet Celestia..." Twilight gasped, almost unable to speak.

"This. Is. Beautiful," Pinkie remarked, at a loss for words herself.

"Neat," Chuck said, taking another picture.

"Even though I've been in here several times over, it never gets old," Greg spoke up.

"Heh, and you though Elysium in the Greek Underworld looked beautiful," TD remarked to no one in particular. "This place hasn't changed much since I last saw it, but it's still just as beautiful."

"Wait, you've been here before?" Twilight asked.

"Oh yeah, several times," TD explained. "Only I was still the villain back then, so the welcomes were very... cold."

"You might even say... DEAD cold!" Chuck remarked, laughing hysterically at just how charming and clever he was.

"Careful buddy, or I might just go back to work just to get away from the horrible puns," Greg stated.

"Slow down buddy, or you'll work yourself to death," TD noted. He then laughed himself as he realized the joke he had unintentionally referenced. "HA! Work yourself to death! AH HA!"

Apparently, a lot of the ghosts nearby thought it was a good one too, because a chorus of laughter accompanied him.

"That was nowhere near as funny as my pun, but okay, cool whatever. Ma always told me ghosts had a bad sense of humor," Chuck stated.

"It wasn't too bad, but a little effort would be appreciated," Greg remarked.

"Bite me... again," TD said. "Now, let's see if we can find any familiar faces in this crowd."

"Like who?" Twilight asked.

"Anyone," TD explained. "Literally any ghost from any world can be found here."

"Bing Crosby? Dean Martin? Sammy Davis Jr? Bobby Darin? Frank Sinatra?" Chuck asked in excitement.

"The Headless Horse? Billy from Ooo? Desmond the Moon Bear?" TD called, pushing through the crowd of ghosts.

"This is pointless," Greg complained.

"Quiet, I wanna see if I see somepony familiar!" Pinkie Pie shushed him. Just then, a ghostly pony figure came forward from the crowd that made Twilight gasp.

"P-p-princess Celestia?!" she exclaimed. "But, how? You're not dead yet... are you?"

The ghost chuckled. "In your world, no. But in my own, sadly, I have already passed away, long before you were born."

"Huh?" Twilight was confused, but TD came by just then and chuckled.

"In her world, Twi, it was Daybreaker, not Nightmare Moon, who became the evil sister," TD explained. "And since Daybreaker was more... unstable than Nightmare Moon, when Luna used the Elements to dispel Daybreaker, the evil spirit killed Celestia in the process. Thus, Luna in that world now rules Equestria alone, taking up the responsibility of both her own job and that of her sister's."

"Neat!" Chuck said, taking a picture of ghost Celestia.

"Do you have to take pictures of everything?" Twilight asked him.

"Tourists, Twi. Tourists," TD stated. He then started to walk off, but accidentally bumped into a ghost... somehow.

"Sorry about that!" TD apologized. He then looked to his companions. "In case you're wondering, yes, you can physically touch the ghosts here."

"Really? We couldn't tell," Greg scoffed.

"Neat," Chuck said, taking a picture of TD. "A rare, yellow bellied clutzicus."

TD glared at him. "I'm going to break that camera. Also, did you HAVE to have the flash on?"

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie gasped and grabbed Chuck, turning his head to look through the crowd.

"Chuckie, please tell me you;re seeing what I'm seeing," she said as two more pony-like figures approached. One was about Celestia's size, the other smaller but still roughly ponysized. Both were Changelings and they each looked familiar to Pinkie.

"...Dad? Mom?" she whispered as they started to approach.

"Hornet? Cocoon?" TD was just as surprised. "Whoa... And I thought seeing that Schnitzel truck driver was the best thing I had seen all day."

"Neat," Chuck remarked. "Flash off for this one, don't wanna upset mom and dad in law." He took the picture.

TD looked at him and almost grabbed the camera, but a look from Twilight made him think twice. By now, the couple had reached them and looked to Pinkie and Chuck.

"Pill Bug, my beautiful little princess," Cocoon spoke with ghostly tears in her eyes.

"Mom..." Pinkie rushed over to her and gave her a big hug, her disguise dropping even as she ran over to her. General Hornet looked to Chuck and chuckled.

"Never did understand those things," he said in regards to the camera. "How's life as a monarch, Chuck?"

"Great, I get to finally have the respect I've felled entitled to my whole life, and I have a great lounge to listen to jazz music in and get high- amounts of important work done," He chuckled. "Um, pleased to meet you ma'am." He nodded respectfully to Cocoon. Cocoon looked between Pinkie and Chuck, then gave Pinkie a teasing smile.

"The news down here never told me that you were with a former human," she said. "And a rather nice pick too."

"Mom!" Pinkie giggled and blushed.

"I'm just messing with you!" Cocoon laughed. She then trotted over to Chuck. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gareth."

"Oh dear, she just broke Rule #37," TD quipped. "Never call Chuck by his real name."

"For a fine lady like this? I don't mind," Chuck said. "Now I definitely see where my darling gets her beauty," He said smoothly. Cocoon and Pinkie both giggled, and while one sounded older than the other, they were both very similar to each other. Twilight looked on with Ghost Celestia, smiling at the sight.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, it is beautiful," Twilight agreed.

Just then, Greg seemed to notice something off in the crowd and gave a small cough.

"I'll be right back," he said. "It seems duty calls yet again to me."

And without another word, the small Grim Reaper started walking away from them into the crowd of ghosts.

"So, any good entertainment around here?" Chuck asked Hornet. "I mean, you guys have Robin Williams, Orson Welles, Shakespeare; you've gotta have something good."

"We do," Hornet replied. "There's a theater, a stage, and sometimes all the others band together for a talent show." He chuckled. "Robin Williams is even one of the judges for voice impersonations."

"I would just love to be told I'm horrible at impersonations by Robin Williams! I don't care that I devoted five years of my life to learning them!" Chuck swooned. Pinkie gave a dramatic gasp.

"Can we see the talent show Mommy?" she begged Cocoon, acting like a child again. "Canwecanwecanwecanwe?"

Cocoon laughed. "Of course, my dear! Let's go!"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Twilight agreed as she and Celestia followed them. None of them had noticed that TD had disappeared yet...

"I hope auditions aren't closed yet," Chuck remarked before looking around to see if anything was off, someone missing perhaps. "Eh, nothin' out of the ordinary." He shrugged, not being very observant.

"Hey Chuckie, where'd TD go?" Pinkie asked suddenly.

"Yeah, where is your human friend?" Cocoon asked. "Isn't he the one who brought you here?"

"D'ah Shiza Minnelli, I knew something was off," He remarked. "I don't know, never saw him leave."

"Wait... wasn't that around the time Greg left too?" Hornet asked. "I didn't notice TD around when he left."

"I mean, come on! It's a hall full of ghosts, the one living guy who isn't part of this group at the moment shouldn't be tough to spot." Chuck shrugged.

"Excuse me," a ghost spoke to them from nearby. He was a pony, but his head seemed to be deattached from the rest of his body, and he was holding it in one of his front hooves. "I think I know where your friend went. He and Greg are back there somewhere."

He pointed towards an arched doorway with his free hoof.

"Wow, that's the worst case of ghost leprosy I've ever seen." Chuck remarked. "D'ah it's just a joke, don't lose your head." He joked. "For real though, thanks. Well, come on everyone, I hear TD's just on... shall we say a-head." He joked once more.

"Come on," Pinkie remarked, bouncing ahead of him already (no pun intended). As they approached the archway, they could hear a high pitched voice (possibly Greg's) and another voice that sometimes cracked or went falsetto when shouting (TD's) arguing with each other. The closer they got, the more they could distinguish in their speech.

"...both know what you're really here for, William," Greg's voice said in a scolding manner.

"So what are you gonna do about it?" TD countered. "It's technically my property, even if it was from so many years back."

"I don't trust you with it," Greg argued. "Remember what happened last time you had it and you came here?"

"I'm not the same person from then, Greg," TD stated firmly. "I can still kill you and everyone here permanently by simply blinking, but that doesn't mean I will still do it."

Worried looks were exchanged from Chuck to Pinkie. They kept listening both feeling a mixture of curiosity and anxiety over just what they were listening to.

"You know that I can't allow you to go in there, right?" Greg told TD. "According to the powers that be-"

"To HELL with the powers that be!" TD snarled. "I've never been one to follow your codes and laws of the universe, ya know!"

"You little p****! You're trying my patience!" Greg shouted. They heard a sharp object getting slammed into the floor, and they figured that the scythe he carried was now being readied for combat.

"Do you really wanna fight me Greg?" TD asked, and they could feel his power building up. "You never were a match for me then, and you certainly aren't a match for me now."

"Chuckie, we got to do something," Pinkie whispered. "They're gonna kill each other!"

"We? Whaddya mean we? I'm not intervening! I place very little value in whether I live or die, but not that little value! What do you think we could possibly do that wouldn't end with us on the brunt end of whatever the hell they're fighting over?" Chuck whispered frantically.

"I don't know!" Pinkie whispered back. "But we can't just let them kill each other! What would Twilight think? What would Mom and Dad think? We have to-"

She stopped when she realized that the two figures they had been eavesdropping on had gone silent.

"Did you hear that?" Greg asked.

"No, but I sense something nearby..." TD answered. They then heard him approaching their location.

"Quick, put on a disguise!" Chuck instructed, taking the form of the ghost of John F. Kennedy. "Eh, always forgive your enemies, but never, EVER forget their names!" He said, doing Kennedy's voice. "And that isn't even using my Changeling powers ladies and gentlemen."

Pinkie decided to, for whatever reason, turn into a ghost of a Minecraft Villager. TD poked his head from behind the corner and stared hard at them. For a brief moment, they were afraid the disguises didn't work. Then TD's expression softened.

"Oh, it's only Terrance and JFK," he said. "Guys, the auditions are near the other archway."

Greg walked past him as he spoke.

"It's probably best we head back anyways," he said. "Your wife will be wondering where we went."

"She's always wondering where I'm off to," TD commented, following the small Reaper. Once they were out of earshot, Pinkie and Chuck dropped their disguises.

"I almost forgot that being the Element of Laughter kept him from seeing past my disguise!" Pinkie managed when she had taken a good breath of air.

"And my Kennedy must be just that convincing. You should see my Nixon," Chuck grinned.

"Uh huh. Save it for the talent show Chuckie," Pinkie giggled.

They both agreed that they should head back to the group and for the moment make it out as if they never heard anything about the conversation. Upon returning to the group, they heard TD saying something to Twilight and Pinkie's parents.

"So, there's one more section of this place that I want us to check out before we head out," TD was saying to them. "I hear it's supposed to be full of lots of amazing sights."

"It's not too great," Greg stated sourly, making TD shoot him a subtle glare.

"Why? What's wrong with it?" Twilight asked him.

"It, uh..." Greg looked to TD before he answered. "It's kinda dangerous, and I'm just a bit concerned for you guys. I don't want you dying here in the Underworld while under my watch. That's all."

"Danger? Neat!" Chuck remarked.

"Oh, Chuck! Pinkie! There you are!" TD called to them. "We were just about to go looking for you."

"D'ah well, there wouldn't of been any need of that; it's not too easy to get lost in here. Hey, did you guys see the ghost of Kennedy? Man that guy's sharp," Chuck said, getting a nudge from his wife.

"Kennedy's always been getting lost in this place. He bumped into be a while back there," TD replied. He then looked back towards the arch he and Greg had been at. "So, who's ready for the tour? The entrance is that way."

"Sure," Pinkie's parents said at once.

"Fine by me," Twilight said.

"Oh great..." Greg mumbled.

"Well, I guess we'd best get going. Good thing too, I've still got plenty of memory on my camera. Ooh, neat," He said, taking a picture of Greg. "I call this one: Grumbly Greg," He remarked aloud. He then leaned in and whispered to Greg, "Which I'm sure you have a justified reason to be. Blink twice if you feel like this tour will wind up with me dead so I know to GTFO."

"I can't blink, idiot!" Greg hissed back. "My face is an empty skull!"

By now, they were heading back to the arched entryway. This time, Chuck and Pinkie were in the back and Greg had decided to ride on Chuck.

"How much did you hear?" he asked them.

"Something about what you-know-who is really here for, then what he did last time he was here with it," Chuck explained.

"Then there was that whole thing about the powers that be. About that time things heated up; it sounded like a fight was gonna break out," Pinkie continued.

"I was ready to step in to make sure nobody got hurt, of course." Chuck noted. "But yeah, that's what we know. Also, could you kindly scoot closer to my neck so I don't have to strain my arse end as much?"

"Sorry," Greg said, scooting up to the neck. He then said with some fear in his tone, "Listen, I understand that he's changed and all, but I really don't like where he's going with this! If he gets his hands on that thing... I'm not sure what will happen!"

"What... IS the thing? I you don't mind me asking. Apparently he can already just Thanos you outta here without it, so I can't imagine what this thing can do, unless it does the impossible like solving world hunger or getting opposing political parties to agree on something," Chuck remarked.

"Well..." Greg looked to make sure TD wasn't listening in on them, then leaned closer to Chuck's ear. "He calls it the Staff of Infinity. Apparently, it's like your friend Thanos's gauntlet, only much, much worst. Hated it when Thanos used that Infinity Gauntlet. The lines in here were blocked up for hours! Me and the other Reapers all had to work 3 extra hours just to keep up with the amount of people he killed!"

"Sooooo it's a knockoff down to the name. A-Plus for originality," Chuck remarked. "Okay skullface, riddle me this: what's someone trustworthy want with something that can trigger it's own rapture? That's like Gandhi wanting a mini gun, which, I mean, sounds really cool but it's not the point. The point is it doesn't add up. You're right to be skeptical."

"Well, there was something he said about-" Greg started, but then stopped when he noticed TD had stopped in front of the archway. A portal now stood in the place of the halls that normally stood there. On the other side, a long hallway could be seen. And at its end, barely visible, was some kind of pole-like object...

"Well, here we go!" TD remarked cheerfully as he stepped inside. The others followed and found themselves inside some kind of chamber. The walls were covered in runes and markings in every language imaginable. Chuck and Pinkie even caught a glimpse of a few words in the Ancient Changeling writing that had been on Cocoon's grave when they had buried her body. Cocoon and Hornet looked around with skeptical looks and even Twilight had caught on to what was going on.

"William, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Sorry Twi, but there's something I have to take care of in here," he said.

"Old words. Neat." Chuck remarked, taking another picture. "Wait, that pole thing... I'm no genius, but I'm pretty sure a staff is shaped like a pole. Especially those of the Infinity variety!" He murmured. TD apparently heard that, because he shot a look at Greg.

"Greg, what did you tell them?" he asked.

"The truth of your visit," Greg replied, sounding surprisingly calm as he jumped off Chuck's back and approached TD. "Someone had to tell them. Plus, they kinda evesdropped on us."

TD slapped himself as he realized how they could've done it. "I thought that it was too coincidental that Kennedy was nearby. Although, nice going with Terrence, Pinkie. That one actually got me."

"We didn't eavesdrop as much as we went looking for you, then got enticed by what you were talking about," Pinkie explained.

"That's... that's eavesdropping, hon," Chuck informed her.

"William, explain," Twilight demanded, giving TD a look that could kill. Celestia, Cocoon and Hornet were silent as they watched, but they seemed concerned by what they were seeing. TD stared at Twilight and a silent power struggle ensued between them. Eventually, TD gave in and sighed.

"I came here to kill two birds with one stone," he explained. "I hoped to not only face the ghosts of my past if possible, but also to reclaim something of mine that I left here many hundreds of years ago. I had hoped this would be private, but then Pinkie got involved and soon you and Chuck followed suit."

"So, what do you plan to do?" Celestia asked, frowning at him.

"This," TD answered, stretching a hand towards the staff in the distance. The staff suddenly flew down the hall and into his hand, coursing with power as it did so. Greg readied his scythe and if he had any facial expressions he would've been glaring. Twilight was too surprised to say anything, and the ghosts with them seemed incapable of helping as they did nothing as well.

"Infinite power... at my disposal," TD said softly. "A weapon that when coupled with me could spell doom upon everyone and everything. Once upon a time, I used you to conquer all before my powers had matured." He held it with two hands. "No longer! Your usefulness has long since expired."

TD lifted the staff up and for a moment he hesitated. A solitary tear fell down his cheek and then he brought the staff down on his knee, snapping it in half. When he did, a shockwave could be felt throughout the chamber and the staff disintegrated completely. TD sighed and fell to his knees.

"That was for them," he whispered softly.

"Well, that sure was... something that happened," Chuck remarked. "Broken stick. Neat." He said, taking a picture of the staff dust and TD on his knees.

"Chuck, you take one more picture..." TD warned.

"Look man, just trying to keep the memories; you know I don't have a good memory span," He replied.

"Nevertheless, now's not the time!" TD shouted.

"William," Twilight warned. TD looked at her, then sighed.

"I know. Don't turn him into a cactus again," he grumbled.

"I mean, it wouldn't be right. After all, I'm not the one being a prick here," Chuck remarked, taking a picture of himself. "Clever guy, neat."

"Well, that was a bit anticlimactic," Greg stated. "I expected... well, something terrible to happen."

"To be honest, so did I," Hornet remarked.

"I almost doubted you for a second, TD," Celestia added. TD gave them a smirk.

"What? Like I'd actually turn my back on you guys just like that?" he commented.

"No, no, I definitely didn't," Chuck shook his head. "I'll pay your winnings when we get back," He mumbled to Pinkie.

"I heard that," TD chuckled. "So, why don't we go back to the main hall and pretend this never happened? After all, it's not liked something bad happened."

"I already forgot why I'm here!" Pinkie nodded.

"I thought you- Nevermind!" TD remarked. "Pinkie, just enjoy the time you can spare with your parents now, because it won't be permanent."

"Way to rub it in," Twilight muttered.

"No need to be so blunt about it," Greg stated.

"Says the guy who's always blunt," TD countered.

"I mean, come on, geez," Chuck remarked. "Come on mom and dad in law, I'm gonna give you the 'How I Met Your Mother' story as quick as I can. Only it's better, because it's about me and your daughter. I'm kinda like a mixture of Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris' characters so I'm super likable in it," He rambled on, leading Pinkie and her parents back.

"I suppose we follow them," TD shrugged, following after them with Twilight, Celestia and Greg in tow.

"Well, what else did you have in mind? Wait in here until another artifact of yours comes around?" Greg asked.

"Funny," TD remarked.

"Just enjoy the party," Twilight chided, as they had arrived back in the main room by then.

"Fine by me. I'll see if they've still got that drink I like," TD stated.

"I don't know, looks like they only serve... wait for it... spirits here!" Chuck laughed.

"He used to be a bartender," Pinkie told her mother.

"And each of his drinks had lousy puns for names," TD remarked, taking a sip from a glass he took from a ghost waiter passing drinks around. "At least he knew how to brew his booze. From what I've heard, that is; I only ever took the soft drinks."

"It was nice, I finally had an excuse to use the kid's menus that came with the menu package I ordered when I opened the place," Chuck remarked. "Wow. There is nowhere near enough bourbon in this Manhattan." He gagged, sipping his drink.

TD trailed off as he noticed a ghostly figure among the crowd of ghosts approach them that looked familiar to him. Frowning, he peered harder at it, then gasped and dropped the glass he was holding. The ghostly figure, which appeared to be a female human with a sparkling dress, gave a small smile as she came closer. TD seemed unable to speak for awhile, then finally managed one word.

"...Nyxia...?"

"...William..?" she replied with much surprise in her voice. TD may have been the more surprised to see her, but he was the first to react. Without much of a warning, he rushed over to the ghost and crushed her in a big hug.

"I missed you..." he managed, crying a little as he hugged her. She returned the hug with an equal amount of passion.

"I missed you too..." she sobbed heavily.

"William, you know her?" Twilight asked. TD smiled and pulled away to look at Twilight.

"Twi, this is Nyxia. Pandora's mother," he explained.

"Her mother?" Twilight was surprised and at a loss for words.

"Pandora?" She said in sudden surprise as she gave TD and Twilight a hopeful look. "You've seen our daughter... she's still alive?!"

TD smiled. "Alive and well. She apparently possessed some of my powers when she was born, so she inherited a longer lifespan than what is normal for her kind. And to prove it, she gave me this when we met..."

TD's hand closed, and when he opened it again a kind of rose appeared in his hand. It was similar in color to the night sky and it sparkled as if there mini stars in its form. Nyx smiled joyfully as she saw this.

"My night rose..." She said, trying to touch the flower. "I guess, she's happy with her daddy..." Then she looked to Twilight and smiled calmly. "I see you know my daughter as well... how so Twi? That's your name right?"

"That's actually short for Twilight," Twilight replied. "We found out about her after rescuing her from a terrible lord of darkness."

"She was being forced to be one of his henchmen. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time... and the pieces kinda fell together from there," TD finished. "At the time, she went by the name Mimikurse, which we decided to change to Mimi to sound better as she hated the last name. She only recently revealed her true name to us."

Nyx showed a saddened expression when she heard about the last part.

"Well, I am glad to know that she's living her life happily now." She said and smiled in relief once again. "William, when you return, tell her that I love her so much. And Twilight, keep being like a good mother to her."

Twilight smiled. "I will."

"Goodbye Nyxia," TD said to her, giving her one last hug. "I hope that the next life stays kind to you."

Nyx gave a small nod at this and waved her hand. "Goodbye."

Nyxia faded away as TD sighed, a small smile and some tears on his face.

"Never thought I'd see her again," he managed.

"An' I never thought I'd see HER again," Chuck remarked loudly. "Miss Monroe, still looking as gorgeous as ever." He gawked to the ghost of the late fashion model, actress, and singer, Marilyn Monroe.

"And you're still as MARRIED as ever," Pinkie said, grabbing her husband.

"Is that John Wayne?" TD chuckled. "That guy was a great actor."

"All these ghosts and I barely recognize one familar face," Twilight sighed. "Oh well, guess you can't win them all."

"That's not true, there's gotta be someone you know. There's a horse over there!" Chuck pointed. "No... no wait... that's Eleanor Roosevelt." He remarked.

"MMM! Funny joke!" TD cackled, giving a Yoda impression.

"Did you just insult an elderly lady?" Twilight asked them.

"We insult all kinds of people back home, young and old," was the reply.

"That, and she looks like a horse," Chuck stated. "An earth horse, they're a lot uglier than Equestria's beings." He specified.

"Not always. They may not look pretty, but they're not ugly either," TD stated. Suddenly, a ghost flew through his body in a ghostly car shouting, "Road hog!" and then driving through one of the nearby walls.

"Magoo, where have you been?" TD asked no one in particular, chuckling as he did.

"So, Cocoon," Chuck turned to her. "I've got to know, how did you know my name?"

"It's complicated," she explained. "Down here, we occasionally receive word about things in the mortal realms. I happened to hear a bit about you in one realm. You weren't a Changeling there, but your name was one thing that seemed to stand out there." She shrugged. "I just assumed that you had the same name there as you do back home."

"Oh, and here I was expecting something deep and prophetic," He remarked. "Neat."

"Well, we all get the news in different ways-" TD began, but stopped when a deep booming voice spoke.

"Attention everyone!" the voice shouted. "Visiting hours are over! Please say your goodbyes and head to the nearest exit to return to your own Underworlds. No pushing or shoving or-"

An earsplitting noise racked the place and they noticed that it was Greg speaking into a megaphone, which was malfunctioning on him. In frustration, the Reaper threw it to the ground.

"Blast that bloody contraption!" he yelled, his voice returning to it's squeaky tone. "Who's bloody idea was this in the first place?"

"I... I guess this is goodbye, huh?" Pinkie looked sadly to her parents.

"It would seem so..." Hornet nodded. Cocoon didn't answer, but her eyes were filled with tears as well.

"Oh don't start the bloody- you know what? Screw it!" Greg remarked, walking over to them. "I agree that the visiting hours are... well, they suck. So, I'll make you deal. I give you 24 hours- the next 24 hours, that is- with your parents. In exchange, I subtract one of your free chances in that other deal I gave you."

"Wow Greg. I... didn't realize you could be so nice," TD stated.

"Hey, I may be a Reaper, but I have feelings too!" Greg snapped.

"You mean it?" Pinkie asked. "Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She beamed ecstatically.

"Don't mention it," Greg shrugged it off. "Now I've got some cats to visit back in my Underworld. Bloody hate those things. Their meows are terrible, they piss everywhere, and they're just the biggest pr***s in the animal kingdom..."

His voice trailed off as he walked off into the distance. He then seemed to realize something and shouted back to them, "Exit's down the hall to your left! Just follow the signs!"

TD waited until he was out of sight and earshot, then laughed.

"I didn't say anything before, but he sounds like Alpha from _Up_ when his loose wires acts up," he giggled.

"One of the first imitations I learned was that, as a matter of fact." Chuck noted.

"Can we go please? This place suddenly feels... cold. And unwelcoming," Twilight commented, noticing the change when all the other ghosts had departed. Celestia giggled.

"That would probably be best," she said, as her image started to fade away. "Goodbye, Twilight. I'm glad to know that not all of my counterparts suffered the same fate as I did."

Twilight smiled and shook the ghost's hoof while it was still physical.

"Goodbye, Celestia," she said. The ghost faded some more, and eventually she disappeared completely. Only Hornet and Cocoon remained.

"Almost empty room. Neat," Chuck remarked, flooding the room for a mere second with the bright light of the flash as he took a picture.

"I swear, that's gonna be in my nightmares," TD muttered as they walked down the hall to the exit. "If it isn't already."

"What? The camera or the fact that Chuck's taking pictures of everything?" Hornet asked him.

"A bit of both, truth be told," TD replied. "I bloody hate the flash on that thing."

"Causing annoyance. Neat!" Chuck took another picture.

"Okay, now you're just antagonizing me," TD grumbled. The others just laughed.

"Let's go," Cocoon said with enthusiasm. "I'm dying to see how the hive has grown! No pun intended."

Hornet chuckled. "Lead the way, my dear."

Cocoon obliged, with Pinkie close behind her and the rest of the gang after them.

"You're going to love what we've done with the place. I modified the dungeon into a dungeon/game room. We've got in all in there: billiards, darts, ping pong, ski ball, and then, y'know, dungeon stuff," Chuck told them as they walked. TD chuckled along with Twilight.

"So, I basically did something that almost ruined things yet again, but in the end it all turned out alright," he said to her. "Should this be a common theme?"

"If it ever did, I'd be the same size Celestia is now," Twilight giggled. She then leaned against him as they walked. "But next time, don't hide the intent of the travel from us again."

"Deal," TD replied, giving her a quick boop on the nose.

 _Never again, he thought to himself. Those days are behind us. Long live the present._

* * *

 **"Long live the present? You couldn't have given me a better line?"**

 **I ran out of ideas. Also, this was mostly a filler chapter.**

 **"On that note... 40 chapters! Wow! This thing picked up fast."**

 **Not really, but that's still impressive. Thank you everyone for staying with us so far! And yes, for those that may know what I'm talking about, Greg the Grim Reaper is derived off of the Reaper of the same name from the game _Conker's Bad Fur Day._ NOT FOR KIDS.**

 **"By the way, we're looking for some coverart for this story and others, and we're wondering if any of you out there are willing to help out. Submit your art to our Yahoo email account which is given on our profile page, and we'll check them out. If you want to ask for any specifics on what we'd like to see, give us a PM and we'll talk it over. Thanks again! TD out!"**

 **Cya next time everyone! Hope you enjoyed!**


	42. Fixing Joy Star's Time

**Joy Star returns once again; this time when TD is forced to save his future. For an old enemy of the Prince has managed to take revenge on him, even from beyond existence.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Joy and Bubble were sitting in bed getting ready to sleep. They were in a room at Bubble's mother's residence in Manehattan. Their children were asleep in the room beside their own. They both had come there for Bubble's family reunion. This was also the first time when no mean member of Bubble's family had tried to ruin the event for them.

"I hope you're happy to be here Joy," Bubble said to him as they lay back on the bed.

"I certainly am," Joy replied and smiled. "Thankfully." Then he placed his head on the pillow. "As long as you and children are happy, I am more than happy as well."

"It's good to know," Bubble replied, kissing him and lying beside him afterwards. "Goodnight honey."

"Goodnight my sweetheart," Joy replied. They closed their eyes and soon drifted off to sleep...

At last, the next morning had arrived. Bubble caressed her hoof on her bed to feel the presence of her husband beside her, but there was nothing.

"Joy..." she called him. "Where are you darling?" She asked but no answer came. She yawned and opened her eyes, only to see that she was alone on the bed. She pondered over this for a moment before smiling and reaching to conclusion that he must be in the bathroom. She came out of her bed, still in her nightrobe, and went towards the bathroom door and knocked.

"Joy, are you in there?" There was no reply. "Joy, answer me." Still no reply. She chuckled at this and said, "If you don't reply now, I'll open the door." She was sure to get a reply now but still there was nothing but silence.

 _That is enough,_ she thought and opened the door... only to see that there was no one there.

"There is... no one."

She began to worry a little and ran towards her children's room. She knocked on the door, but when no reply came she opened the door only to see her children weren't there.

"Joy, Sunny, Bold!" She shouted. "Where are you?!"

She ran downstairs and went towards a certain door which belonged to her mother's bedroom. She knocked desperately at the door.

"Mom!" She shouted, "Mom!"

In a while, the door was opened and her mother was standing in front of her.

"What happened my dear?!" She asked.

"Mom! Joy, children!" Bubble shouted. "I can't find them... I can't find them... they're not here. Did something happen last night?!"

She cried as her mother stared at her in confusion. "Calm down Bubble," She said calmly. "First tell me, who's Joy? It looks like you have a nightmare last night."

"No! What are you talking about!" Bubble asked, "You know him. Joy, my husband!"

"Your husband?" Her mother said in confusion, "Darling, are you feeling alright?"

It didn't take Bubble long before she realized that something was terribly wrong. She shook her head as her eyes started to shed tears.

"I must see Princess Celestia!" She shouted and galloped out of her home straight towards the station.

 _What's wrong with her? Where is my sweetie and my foals? Why did she say that she don't know him?!_ She cried as these thoughts raced in her mind. She was just praying for their safety in her heart. She reached the station and boarded the train. Inside, she sat on one of the seats, trying to hold back her tears as much as she could.

"You headed somewhere, friend?" a voice asked beside her. Looking up, Bubble noticed an odd figure before her. He was a bipedal hedgehog, just her height on his two legs. A pair of blue shoes were on his feet and a pair of white gloves on his hands. He was a red color and as she tried to remember where she had seen him before, he leaned forward to her and flashed a smile, revealing his face. It was one full of mischievousness, and his two yellow eyes regarded her with a kind expression.

"Red?!" She asked, almost not believing what she saw.

"In the flesh and at your service," the hedgehog replied with a bow.

"Oh Red," she sobbed, "Something's not right here. Joy and the children are... are..." She broke down into tears once again. "I don't know what happened..."

Red sighed. "I know what's happened, and it's worst than you'd ever expect it to be." He looked to her and for a moment she could've sworn that his eyes had turned grey. "Your husband does not exist anymore, and thus neither do your children."

Her pupils shrank with shock as she heard this. She gritted her teeth as her horn started to give a voilent glow. She looked towards the hedgehog with rage in her eyes. "What. Are. You talking about?!"

"I'm saying someone has altered the past. Someone has gone back in time and killed Joy before Celestia found him," Red said calmly. Much like TD, he wasn't at all threatened by her actions from before, but that was mostly because he was once a part of TD himself. The violent glow in Bubble's horn disappeared and her eyes gave an expression of grief.

"NO! Not again! Not... again!" She shouted, now crying loudly and not caring if the ponies around her noticed. Red lowered his head sadly and slowly gave her a hug, knowing that she needed to release her grief.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I wish I could've helped out in time. But there is still a way to save them all."

Bubble lift her head and her eyes lit up. "There... is?"

"Yes," Red said. "You must go back into the past and prevent this fate from happening again."

Bubble didn't said anything at this, but gave a determined nod. She wiped her tears and looked outside the window. There was still some time before they would reach Canterlot.

"Celestia won't be able to help you on this one," Red said to her. "She may be able to detect the rift in time, but she herself won't know how to help. Her mind is altered just like the others in Equestria." He sighed. "I'm not able to help you there either, for I am needed elsewhere. I simply came to give you advice while our paths were still aligned." He gave her a thoughtful expression. "But there's one who may be able to help still."

"William?" She asked.

Red nodded. "He can reverse this. He always has. Here, take this..."

Red handed her a small device of some kind, which had some flashing red and green lights on it.

"Since I won't be able to help you with the portal, you'll need this," he explained. "Attach it to that machine Twilight has on the mirror in Canterlot, then enter it. It'll take you to TD. And whatever you do, don't give up." He smiled and gave her a small slug to the shoulder. "You're the Princess of Hope, so believe you can save them. Hope is not the strongest thing out there in terms of magic or emotion, but even the smallest spark of hope can ignite the wildfire needed to prevail."

"Thank you so much Red," Bubble said. "I can never repay you for this."

"Thank me later when you've fixed the past and the future," Red replied, getting up from his seat. "Good luck to you. You'll need it."

Red stepped away from the seat they had been on and faded away as he did, like mist in the wind. Bubble nodded and looked towards the device in her hold. She then thought of her husband and her children and a sob escaped her mouth.

"No matter what happens... I'll save you my love."

There was going to be a huge celebration in Canterlot, so Twilight and all the crowned Princesses, including Bubble, had to be there at the time of the ceremony. But that wasn't on her mind at all; she had to save the past and the future to save her husband, and that was all on her mind at the time.

"We're arriving at Canterlot's station," Came the voice of the announcer. Everything seemed to be okay when all of sudden...

"What the... what's happening!?"

The train suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

"What are you doing...?"

Then suddenly, strange roars were heard among the passengers along with strange hoofsteps. Then everything was silent when a bunch of strange, tall and hideous creatures broke into the train and started to harass the passengers.

"What's going on?" Bubble shouted as one of them advanced towards her. "Stop, stop!"

Soon, she found herself being forced into a line of other ponies, each chained up and marching slowly towards Canterlot. All over the place, airships could be seen in the sky and more of the creepy creatures stood as guards. Eventually, they all came to a stop and looked up to see another pony figure. This one was not chained, but none of the creatures seemed to try and take her like they had done to the others. She was taller than Twilight and must've been a unicorn, but her horn was broken at the base and a scar ran across her right eye. The unicorn looked to the group of ponies before her and addressed them formerly.

"As of now, you are all prisoners, slaves, and subjects to your new ruler," she said aloud. "We are your masters now, and you will answer to us."

Just then, a larger figure came forward that was much bigger than the other creatures. He also seemed to be a bit insane. Apparently, he was their leader, because the unicorn and the other creatures bowed before him when he approached.

"Greetings, ponies!" he called out. "I am the Storm King, and I am your new ruler! From now on, you will do as I say when I say it! Those who refuse will be severely punished and suffer the same fate of your precious princesses."

As he said this, five cages were brought forth and Bubble almost cried again when she saw who was inside them. Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight... all of them having been turned to stone. Her eyes to shed tears as she saw this. The sobs was about to escape her mouth as she tried to remain silent. This Storm King guy seemed really terrible and powerful, given that he defeat all four Princesses of Equestria at once. She was terrified to some extent but she couldn't give up now. She'd come this far, now if only she could escape omehow. She looked around for a chance to escape, any slight chance to use her magic or something.

"But it seems we're missing one," Storm King continued. "One of your princesses has managed to evade our grasp. Until now..." He looked to Bubble and motioned to some of his guards to bring her to him. They decoupled her from the line of ponies and dragged her to the Storm King's side. He looked into her eyes and smirked.

"Remember me, Princess?" he asked, and his voice suddenly sounded different. More evil and dark. It sounded like...

 _Ornos?!_ She thought

"It's you?!" She gave him poisonous glare.

"Ding! Give the mare a prize!" he congratulated. He then gave her his own poisonous glare. "Your friend was powerful. I underestimated him and when he called all his reinforcements in I knew I couldn't win. So, I had much of my being leave my body before he banished it to the Void! And now I have been reborn to claim revenge on you! With your husband out of the way, the rest was simple and easy to take care of." He pushed her into the empty cage and it closed on her immediately. "I'd say it was nice to see you again, but it hasn't. Tempest, bring them up to my chambers! We'll conduct the ritual now..."

The unicorn from before nodded. "Yes, my king."

Bubble gritted her teeth as Tempest advanced towards her.

"Stay away from me, if you know what's good for you," Bubble said, charging her horn to give a violent red glow.

Tempest just smirked. "Save your energy Princess. These cages absorb any magic you cast. You're not escaping anytime soon."

Bubble just looked towards her in anger knowing that she couldn't be able to do anything now, she could only hope for a miraculous way to escape. Giving her a furious look she spoke, "Be thankful that my husband isn't here... yet."

"Husband?" Tempest raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you were married, princess."

"Tempest!" Storm King/Ornos shouted impatiently. "Now!"

"Sorry!" she apologized, then motioned to some guards to lift Bubble's cage. However, right when they started to grab the cage, Bubble heard something whiz through the air and a cry of pain came from the creatures as they clutched their arms, a small knife in each. Tempest, Storm King, and the others all looked in the direction the knives had been thrown and were a bit surprised at what they saw. It was a human (something only Bubble and Ornos knew), with black clothing on. A cape was attached to his suit and two bracelets were on his arm. One was yellow, the other a reddish-grey color. On the figure's cape was a disco ball surrounded by human and humanoid figures. The figure lifted his head, revealing blue eyes that held mischievousness mixed with sorrow in them. A cheeky grin crossed his face as he stepped forward.

"I had a feeling that you could use some help Princess," he said, speaking to Bubble. "Red honestly should've stayed with you longer."

"Deigo!" Bubble felt a sigh of relief escape her as she saw him approach. Storm King growled.

"Well don't just stand there!" he shouted. "Get him!"

The monsters at his command rushed the human, who smirked and made a motion with his arms. The bracelets suddenly turned into some kind of gauntlets, both bearing the symbol on his cape. He grinned and rushed into the fight. He landed a punch to the first one that reached him, and all watched in surprise and amazement as the monster flew into his comrades, knocking them all unconsious before falling to the ground in the same condition. Tempest, furious at this display of power, tossed several grenade like objects at him. They collided with his form... only to have it disappear like a shadow. Then Tempest felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning quickly, she looked just in time to see the human's fist connect with her muzzle, knocking her to the ground.

"No!" Storm King shouted, rushing at the rogue, only to get thrown over his head and into a nearby building. Diego chuckled, then rushed over to Bubble's cage. With a single punch, the cage shattered and he knelt down to inspect her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded with a questioning expression. "I'm alright," she answered. Inwardly, she was wondering how he was even there at the moment, but thought it best not to ask.

"Good." Diego pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was the device Red had given to her; earlier, when she had been abducted, the monsters had stolen it from her. How Diego had gotten his hands on it during that time was beyond her, but now was not the time to ask that question. Hearing more of the enemy approaching, Diego pulled Bubble out of the cage and looked to the balcony of the Canterlot Palace. It was still far from where they stood, but from the way it looked Diego was planning something.

"I can throw you over there and save you some walking," he explained. "But it's gonna be a rough ride."

Bubble spread her wings and said, "Do it."

"Godspeed to you. I'll hold them off as long as I can. Go get him," Diego said to her with a wink. He then lifted her with both hands above his head and with impossible strength threw her towards the palace at high speeds.

"Bon voyage!" he called, then turned to face the horde coming upon him. "Welcome to The Fistival! Allow me to PUNCH out your tickets!"

"Whoo!" Bubble shouted as she found herself flying towards the balcony at superspeed. In a few seconds, she reached the balcony. As she was trying to stop, she lost her balance and fell over. She quickly got up and looked around.

"The mirror," She said "I need to find the mirror."

The mirror was in a certain room of the palace. She needed to reach it before that unicorn reached her. At last, she was standing in front of the room.

"Thank Goodness!"

She went in the room. In a while the mirror was in front of her. There was a triumphic smile on her face. She brought out that device and using her magic she fixed the device with the mirror. "I hope that works!"

In a few seconds she saw that mirror began to create sparks and soon she saw that a portal was opening. "Finally!" She said as she saw a glimps of the TD's universe.

As the portal opened, she heard footsteps approaching and a voice yell, "Stop her! She's getting away!"

"Hurry up!" She shouted.

At last, the portal was fully opened. She began to step inside the portal. Just then, the door busted down and Tempest stood behind her charging up some kind of magic beam from her broken horn. Right before she fired the beam, the portal pulled Bubble in forcefully like a magnet attracting metal, and it closed behind her...

Bubble opened her eyes to see that she wasn't standing in that palace anymore. She smiled triumphantly; she had succeeded to go through the portal. Taking a look at her surroundings, Bubble noticed that she was back in Canterlot, but this time the airships and other dangers from before had disappeared. A sure sign that she was no longer in her own universe.

"William has to be around here!" She said as she headed towards the palace. At the gate, naturally, she was halted by a few guards who wanted her to state her business in the area. Thankfully, someone came to her rescue in the form of a white alicorn mare that was passing by and noticed her. The only thing Bubble found different about her was that she was carrying some kind of foal with her. A foal that looked a bit odd...

"It's okay you guys," Celestia said to them. "She may pass."

The guards nodded and let Bubble pass as Celestia gave her a smile.

"Welcome back, Princess Bubble Heart," she greeted. "What brings you here this time?"

Bubble brought her attention from the foal back to Celestia. She made a saddened expression as she got herself together to tell her about the tragedy that happened in her Equestria.

"Well you see..." She told her all about what happened back home, from waking up all the way up to entering the portal. "...And then I came here to seek help..."

Celestia nodded. "I see. William is inside somewhere. Our council just assembled not too long ago, so the majority of the members should still be there."

She lead the way through the palace and towards the throne room.

"By the way, while you're here, I'd like you to meet Sunshine. My daughter," Celestia said, showing Bubble the Changeling baby. "She came into the family when we saved her from a hostile Changeling hive."

The eight eyes of the baby Changeling turned to Bubble, then Sunshine giggled happily and booped her nose in her own joy. She might look bizzare to some, but as she was able to see through a mother's eye, Bubble could see how precious and lovely Sunshine was.

"She's so cute!" Bubble giggled. But that smile didn't last more than a few seconds as she began to remember her own foals, and her husband and her eyes began to shed trails of tears once again.

"You gave her a very lovely name," She added. Celestia noticed her tears and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. We'll bring them back," she reassured. By now, they had entered the throne room just in time to hear an explosion, followed by TD's voice call out, "Me so sorry!" Celestia sighed and called out in her Royal Canterlot voice, "WILLIAM, YOU HAVE A VISITOR!"

"I can hear you fine! Why are you shouting?" TD's voice suddenly asked from right next to them. Even though Celestia was used to his ways, she still gave a confused look when she saw the entity beside her.

"Bubble! Good to see you friend!" TD greeted cheerfully. He then noticed her tears and his smile faded. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

Bubble, unable to hold back anymore, burst into tears as she grabbed TD in a hug.

"Joy... my foals..." She cried. TD was still confused at first, but his confusion soon disappeared as her emotions surged through him and he realized what was causing her sorrow. Slowly, he returned her hug and let her spill out her grief.

"Don't worry Bubble," he whispered. "We'll get them back. I promise, we'll fix this."

Bubble then released him from the hug and sniffled in sadness. "What we need to do?"

TD looked to her. "We need to know how far back he went. Now, you said that Ornos was reincarnated as the Storm King, yes?" She nodded. "Then that's where we start... Tia?"

Celestia looked to TD. "Yes William?"

"Tell Twi I'll be late for dinner tonight," he said to her. "I have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment."

Celestia nodded. "I'll let her know."

"Thanks Tia. You're the best!" he exclaimed, then looked back to Bubble. "Ready?"

"Yes," she said with determination. "I'm ready."

TD nodded, then with a snap they disappeared from the throne room...

* * *

"I'm... sorry my king," Tempest said to Storm King as he growled at her. "I couldn't... stop her in time."

"Do you even realize what this has probably cost us?!" he demanded, slamming his staff on the floor and causing a small tremor to be felt through the palace. "We don't know where she's gone! She could literally be anywhere! And every moment we spend looking for her, the more we are at risk of losing everything we've built so far!"

"I'll try harder!" she shouted. "I won't rest until she's been found!"

Just then, they heard a portal opening up and Storm King smirked.

"We won't have far to search it would seem," he said with an evil grin. He started walking towards the throne room with Tempest and soon found that what he had said was true. There in the room they could see Bubble. And beside her... Storm King gasped.

"What's HE doing here?!" Storm King demanded, not expecting an answer. Unfortunately for him, TD had already spotted him and was glaring in his direction.

"Cleaning up your messes," TD said to him, magic charging up in his hands. Bubble gritted her teeth as she looked towards the Storm King. She couldn't bare his mere sight.

"Get back!" Storm King warned, pointing the staff at TD. "I have the power of four alicorns in this thing and I will use it!"

"Oh please," TD remarked. "I've faced all four of them before, and defeated them rather easily. Besides, I'm on a bit of a time crunch."

He raised his hands and streams of red lightning fired from his hands as a beam from both Tempest and Storm King's staff fired at him. They connected midway, but TD's blast quickly pushed back their own, causing them to stumble back at the dischrage that came from it. Td then lifted his hands and both found themselves pinned to the wall, the staff flying over to Bubble as TD held them in place.

"Keep an eye on that for me, will ya?" he asked her before advancing towards them. "I want to know just how far back in time you went, Ornos. How far did you go to kill Joy Star?"

Storm King/Ornos didn't answer, but merely laughed at him.

"You think I'd ever tell you?" he scoffed. "You're even crazier than I am!"

"Oh, I never expected you to tell me. At least not willingly," TD remarked. He then looked to Bubble. "I know you and Joy don't usually approve, but..."

"Go ahead!" Bubble said ragefully.

"That must not be healthy for her," TD muttered, then placed his hand on Ornos's skull. His hand glowed and he spoke forcefully.

"How far back did you go?" No answer, so TD shocked him with his lightning. "HOW FAR?!"

"Infant..." Ornos finally managed. "Before... mother... found him..."

TD growled, then punched Ornos hard, causing the Storm King to slump to the ground unconscious. Tempest, meanwhile, continued to struggle against TD's powers, but to no avail. TD simply sighed and said to her, "SLEEP." The command spell flowed over her and her head soon dropped as she drifted into a forced sleep. TD then let them go and walked back over to Bubble.

"Put the staff away; we've got to get going," he told her.

"Mmhmm," Bubble nodded and left the staff there. "Let's go!"

TD nodded, then made a clockwise motion with his hands. When he did, Bubble could see time reversing slowly before her eyes. The palace cleaned up, the destruction outside and inside disappeared, and the time of day changed, as indicated by the shadows inside. Once he was done, TD led Bubble through the halls quietly and outside the palace. Once outside, Bubble noticed a detail that confirmed that they were in the past: on the surface of the moon was the face of an alicorn. The imprint of the banished Nightmare Moon.

"We're here," Bubble said and looked around. "So, now we look for an infant Joy?"

"I suppose so... or at the least his biological parents, or something that looks suspicious," TD replied. He pulled out a small book labeled _The Celestial Child_ and started skimming through it. "Now, unless I'm mistaken, he should be at the lake near the palace. I'd say that's our best start."

TD started walking off to where the lake would be located with Bubble in tow. When they reached it, TD put the book away and started looking around.

"He should be here somewhere..." he muttered aloud. Looking around, Bubble soon noticed something 'suspicious'. She saw a tall bipedal creature wearing loose clothes with a basket in her hand. She was most likely female, as indicated by her long blond hairs, and somewhat obvious feminine face.

"I saw something!" Bubble said to TD. "There!" She pointed towards the bipedal creature. TD looked at where Bubble was pointing, then grinned.

"That must be Joy's mother," he replied. He then lost his smile and looked about warily. "Stay on guard. Ornos may be nearby and it's best we try not to draw too much attention to ourselves. Follow my lead..."

He started to slowly approach the other human, making sure to stay quiet so as not to disturb her or anyone in the palace. Bubble nodded and followed him. She felt somewhat excited in her heart, as for the first time she was about to see her sweetie's biological mother. A sudden smile crept on her face.

Then all of sudden, the woman stopped and looked behind her and passed a nod to someone. Then she looked around and placed the basket near the lake, and got on her knees. She removed the cloth from the basket and lifted a baby in her arms. She looked as if she was trying not to cry.

"I love you my son," she sobbed and kissed him on his forehead. "I'll always love you, even when you will not be there by my side!" She sobbed again. "At least you'll live."

Then she put him back in the basket and he began to whine. She touched his face and the whines ceased, then she covered the basket once again with the blanket.

Right when she finished, a large figure suddenly leaped from out of the shadows and grabbed her, forcing her to the ground and covering her mouth before she could scream. TD had to silence a growl in his throat when he saw who it was. It was Storm King!

"Shh! Hush my dear!" Storm King said to Joy's mother in a creepy manner. "Just let it happen..."

Joy's mother struggled furiously for a moment, then slowly the struggling ceased. As she stopped moving, another figure appeared from where she had been nodding to someone else. It was Ornos, and he was dragging the lifeless body of a male human along the ground. Storm King smirked at him.

"See? I told you this was the right spot!" he exclaimed to him. "Now, you may have your revenge on him and his kind, once and for all!"

"I can't believe they seriously thought they could save him from me," Ornos chuckled

"No!" Bubble whispered in anger. "Weren't we supposed to save them?!"

"Unfortunately, no," TD whispered to her. "They were doomed from the very start. The most we could've done and can still do is save Joy."

While he was speaking, Storm King looked to Ornos.

"Shall I do the honors, or do you wish to have that privilege?" he asked.

"I'll do honors myself, thank you," Ornos replied, walking towards Joy. Bubble growled in anger as she heard him saying that.

"If you touch him, I'll... I'll... William!" She looked towards TD. "Now do we do something?!"

"Wait for it..." TD whispered. Ornos was getting closer to Joy. He was now only a few yards away...

A noise came from behind them and they turned to see what it was. Right when they did, in a flash of light, TD caused Joy's basket to teleport into his arms. The villains looked over at him with surprise.

"Tricked! Tricked! Tricked!" TD called over to them.

"What the- you!" Storm King shouted. "What are you doing here?!"

"You?!" Ornos reacted in anger. "You again?!"

"Yes, me," TD said with a smirk, setting the infant down near Bubble. "You didn't expect to see me again, did you?" He then gave them an angered expression. "Stay away from the boy and leave this place. Now!"

"What obligation do you have towards the boy?" Storm King scoffed. "He's not even your family!"

"Maybe not, but I made a promise to him when you attacked his world in the future," TD growled as his hands glowed with power. "I thought my promise was fulfilled when I banished you to the Void, but I was wrong. It doesn't just end there. It's only beginning for me."

"You know, you're a headache," Ornos scoffed to TD. "You could be a bad guy... but no~ I guess, my friend," He looked towards Storm King, "We have to end this together!"

"YOU COME CLOSE TO HIM, YOU'RE DEAD!" Bubble shouted.

"You know Ornos, I was a bad guy once," TD explained. "I had it all. The power, the subjects, everything. Nothing could stop me and I could do whatever I wanted." He hung his head in shame. "But by doing so, I lost everything. Friends, family, trust. And every night I went to bed, the voices of the innocents I killed haunted my dreams, accusing me. 'Murderer,' they called me." He glared at them as two swords with chains attached to them appeared in his hands, the chains possibly used to extend their reach if he desired. Without looking towards Joy, TD made a gesture with his hand and a forcefield appeared around the baby.

"I've thrown that life away, because it wasn't worth it all," TD stated, as his eyes turned into his draconic eyes and stared at them intimidatingly. "I'm still a monster, that may be true... but I'm not one of the bad ones anymore!"

TD threw the swords at them, the chains around his arms so he could pull them back if need be.

"Your loss!" Ornos scoffed him once again and summoned his axes. "I thought we can get over with this without more bloodshed... I guess I was wrong," Ornos smirked. TD didn't answer as the swords collided with Ornos's axes, then he quickly pulled back on the chains to bring them back to him. He then used the chains like an extension to the blades and struck at Ornos from afar. In this manner, he had the advantage in reach. But Ornos had the advantage in close quarters, and if he got too close the swords would almost be useless if TD couldn't pull them back fast enough. A dangerous game of cat and mouse, one TD was not going to lose this time around. Meanwhile, Storm King had approached Bubble with his staff drawn out and pointed at her.

"I must say, you've got spunk little Princess," he scoffed. "But in the end your fight is pointless. I have the power of the four most powerful alicorns in Equestria at my disposal, and you only have your own magic to fight me with!"

Bubble grunted in rage at this as her horn started to glow.

"I'll show you, you hideous monster." She charged her horn even more as it started to shine with a dark pink aura. Then she blasted a strong magical beam at the Storm King. Storm King fired his own beam from the staff, cackling like a madman as it connected with her own and started pushing her beam back until it had almost connected with her horn.

"You try to resist, you rely on the hope that you can overcome me! But in the end, you're just setting yourself up for failure!" Storm King laughed and intensified his attack. Bubble felt it getting closer to her horn; soon it would connect and she would lose...

Then she remembered Red's words to her back on the train.

 _"...whatever you do, don't give up... You're the Princess of Hope, so believe you can save them. Hope is not the strongest thing out there in terms of magic or emotion, but even the smallest spark of hope can ignite the wildfire needed to prevail."_

For a moment, time was slowed around her as she remembered who gave her the hope to overcome every trouble. She remembered the most beautiful memories of her life with him as her foalhood best friend and then her husband. Her eyes lit up as she felt a new power within herself.

"I. Will. Not. LOSE!" She shouted as her horn shone more brightly and started to overtake his beam. Storm King's glee turned to horror as the beam connected with his staff and a huge discharge occurred, shattering his staff completely. He now stood before her powerless while in the distance TD and Ornos continued their fight.

"H-how?!" he screeched. "That's... impossible!"

Bubble advanced towards the Storm King with eyes still glowing with her aura.

"You said it yourself: I use the power of my hope," She said sternly as he cowered before her. "You are right; I may not be as strong as the other Princesses of Equestria, but I have the power of hope. Hope is the last thing we have, and that is something you just can't take away." Then she smirked. "That's what makes hope so powerful."

Storm King didn't say anything, but simply trembled before her. It seemed that Ornos of the Future had lost more than his sanity when part of him was banished to the Void.

Meanwhile, the fight between TD and Ornos seemed evenly matched. They were both masters of their craft and neither could seem to gain an upper hand at the moment. Yet Bubble knew that TD wasn't even using his full power. He was biding his time, waiting for the right time to unleash his wrath upon Ornos.

"You're a pathetic excuse of a human!" TD growled at Ornos, parrying one of his strikes as he spoke. "You would kill an infant, an innocent child who cannot defend himself! You're not a man; you're a monster... you psychopath!"

"YOU INSOLENT BRAT!" Ornos yelled as he unleashed a strike at him with his full power. "I am NOT a psychopath!"

TD glared and blocked the attack with one hand, finally deciding to unleash his full power upon the one who had destroyed his friend's future.

"I don't have time for this," he muttered. While still blocking Ornos's attack, he pointed his other hand at Storm King, and a small blast fired from his hand and struck the monster while his back was turned, causing him to disappear in a shower of pixelated particles.

"You'll regret this!" Ornos shouted in frustration.

"You tried to kill my friends; I'd say that gives me the right to take you down first," TD growled. "This. Ends. Now. Tas!"

At the last words, some magical cords appeared out of nowhere and tied Ornos to the ground, effectively immobilizing him. Then, before he could break free, TD pointed at Ornos and called out, "Immobilus!", paralyzing the dark lord with a powerful spell.

"I can't move!" Ornos shouted. "What did you do to me?"

"You look better like this!" Bubble scoffed at him.

"Now, what to do with you..." TD mused. "If I banish you back to your realm, it'll take you decades to recover, but you'll still be a threat. On the other hand, if I take care of you now, time will be altered much more than it has been, but you'll no longer be a threat to us."

"Why don't we just get rid of him!?" Bubble said and looked towards TD. "What's the matter with that?"

"If I get rid of him now..." TD looked to her sadly. "Ornos won't come back to harm you... but none of our fights and such that brought our worlds together will have happened. The only thing you'd remember about that... would be me, Red, Bill and Diego."

"What about the others?" Bubble asked sadly. "Zach, Diana, Screwball, or Tracker!"

"Zach, Diana, and Screwball maybe... but the others would be forgotten," TD replied. "On the other hand, if we simply send him back to his realm, it's possible that Ornos will try the same strategy again and create a time loop, causing you guys to replay the same moments over and over again. There's... no easy way around this Bubble. The choice is yours alone to make."

"Then I hope... the universe will be a better place without him," Bubble said sadly. "Even though..."

"I know... I don't like the idea either," TD remarked. "But I don't see any other way..."

Bubble smiled sadly and spoke. "So... let's finish this once... and for all."

TD nodded, then turned to Ornos. His image changed to half light and half dark, and a red light appeared in his hands. He began chanting in an ancient tongue as a portal opened behind Ornos and started dragging him in.

"You- can't do that to me!" Ornos voice changed into multiple voices as he was being pulled through the portal. "No! Nooooo!"

As Ornos was pulled in, TD spoke the final words of the spell, the only words Bubble could identify.

"YOU. ARE. BANISHED!" he shouted. The portal closed on the dark lord and a silence fell upon the lake... a silence that was only interrupted by the cries of the infant nearby. He was still surrounded by the forcefield from earlier.

"Oh, whoops!" TD chuckled. "Hang on, little guy."

TD snapped his fingers and the forcefield disappeared. The infant was still crying as Bubble approached him. It was a really strange experience to see her own husband as an infant in front of her. As he looked towards the pink Alicorn, he ceased weeping and started to glance at her with curiosity.

"I gotta admit... he looks so cute as an infant," Bubble commented. Then she looked towards TD. "So now... we leave him in the lake?"

"I guess so..." TD began, but stopped when he heard something approaching. It was a flap of wings, and he could recognize them anywhere.

"Celestia's coming!" he whispered as loud as he dared. "Hide! Quickly! She can't see you, or who knows what that will do to the future!"

"Alright!" Bubble nodded and quickly hid herself from Celestia's view. TD started to leave, but then stopped when he remembered something.

"Shoot! The baby!"

He ran back to where baby Joy was lying in his crib and picked him up. But before he could make himself scarce, Celestia dropped down in front of him. Judging from her expression, she did not yet know if he was a friend or not; she was also seemed confused as if wondering what he was.

"Who... or what are you?" Celestia asked with a seemingly caring expression. "Are you lost or something?"

TD was at first unsure what to do. He had not planned on getting spotted. But since there was no point in hiding now, he didn't see any other option other than to explain in a manner she would understand.

"I am a human," he said to her. "You know, the creatures that ruled Equestria before? Yeah, same thing. The only difference is... I'm not a native to Equestria, or Equis in general."

"Humans?" Celestia said in confusion. "I never heard of such a species before... Why are you here? That energy... I can sense that you're a very strong creature." Celestia got a little concerned, and then got more serious. "State your purpose of being here."

TD sighed. "Outside your world, another world, once dominated by my species, was destroyed. Its inhabitants, wiped out. Only this little one survived."

TD brought forth the tiny bundle that was Joy, who had started crying again. However, when he noticed the face of the alicorn in front of him, he let out a small gurgle. TD couldn't help but smile at this.

"Oh," Celestia made a thoughtful expression at this. "So, you want me to take care of the little one?"

"If you can," TD replied. "For reasons I cannot explain at the moment, I cannot care for him myself. But... I made a promise, and I intend to keep it one way or another."

Celestia was silent for a moment, then she spoke.

"Okay... I will do this." She passed him a smile. "Come here little one," She said as she took hold of the basket. "I'll take you to your new home."

TD smiled as he watched them leave.

"Love him like the son you never had, Tia," he whispered, watching her go. While doing so, he subtly signaled to Bubble that it was safe to come out now.

"So... looks like we just saved the past." Bubble smiled "I'm very thankful to you for this, William."

Suddenly, Bubble's image started to fade away slowly like a ghost. Already, she was starting to turn transparent.

"Looks like... it's time for farewell," Bubble giggled as she saw herself fading away.

"It would seem so," TD agreed. He then knelt down and looked at her. "When you return to your time and see your kids again, you hold them up high." He gave her a hug while she still had enough of a solid form to do so. "Don't forget about us, okay? I know I won't forget about you..."

"I'd never..."

She vanished completely before she could complete her sentence. TD smiled as he stood to his feet.

"See you in the future, Bubble Heart."

He looked up at the moon where Luna was waiting out her banishment as Nightmare Moon and sighed.

"So much time has passed... and we shall soon see if it was all worth it," he said softly. He then snapped his fingers and in a flash of light he was gone.

* * *

Bubble opened her eyes and looked herself on her bed again. She looked beside her and didn't saw her husband. She looked around in worry. Then she called out to him.

"Joy!"

"I'm in the bathroom."

It was his voice, much to Bubble's relief. In a few moments, Joy exited from the bathroom in his bathrobes.

"Gosh!" He said sarcastically, "Can't live a moment without me, hon!"

He chuckled, and before he realized it, he was pulled into a tight hug by his wife. She shrouded him with his wings as well as she caressed them on his back softly.

"No, I get really scared without you," She said in a tone mixed with joy and sadness.

Joy returned the hug. "It looks like you had a nightmare."

Bubble just nodded and nuzzled her cheek with his. "Mmhmm!"

"It's alright Bubble," He said. "I'm here."

After a while, she released him from the hug with a warm blush and some trails of tears on her face. Joy noticed this and asked with concern, "That nightmare must have been terrifying, right?"

Bubble just wiped her tears and looked up to him. "I'm glad it's over now."

After a while, Joy dressed in his casual clothes and they went to their children's room to wake them up. Bubble was so glad that both of her foals were safe and sound sleeping on their beds. She woke them up and they headed downstairs where Bubble's mother was waiting for them on breakfast. As they were eating breakfast, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll go see who that is..." Joy got up from the table and went towards the door. Upon opening, he saw another human standing before him with four ponies standing beside him; a stallion, a colt, and two mares. The stallion was a green and blue striped pegasus with purple dragon eyes, a red mane and a red tail to match. The colt was grey with green eyes, and a black mane and tail. The first mare was blonde in color with a pink mane and tail, and blue eyes that seemed to have miniature hearts in her eyes that made her look rather cute. The other mare was a light purple color with a mane and tail that was a mixture of purple and white. Her eyes were simply purple spirals and she wore a propeller cap on her head. The human chuckled.

"Hello, we're looking for Prince Joy Star," he said playfully. "I hear that he recently moved into this area?"

Joy looked at them in confusion for a while, then a wide smile appeared on his face.

"William!" he said with a surprised tone. "Zach, Diana, Tracker and Screwball too! You, here! What a surprise!"

"We thought we'd drop by for a little hello," Zach explained.

"So how's the family?" Screwball asked.

"They're all great!" Joy said "Why don't you come in?"

They all agreed to this and stepped inside. TD gave a whistle when he looked around the place.

"Forgot how nice this looked on the inside," he commented.

"Thank you very much," Joy said and pointed towards the dining room. "Would you like to join us for breakfast?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Tracker started, but Screwball stopped him.

"Don't worry Tracky; I'll take care of it if it comes around," she reassured him.

"Good!" Joy exclaimed, leading them to the dining room. As he entered, other than Bubble, her children, and her mother, TD saw one aged stallion, two adult unicorn mares, two young mare who seemed to be twins, and one filly. One adult mare had creamy white coat with dark pink mane and tail, and third had light pale blue coat and shiny blue mane. One of the twins had a yellow coat with a dark orange mane and tail, and the other had vice versa. The filly was red in color with a lighter shade for the mane and tail. Bubble smiled in gratitude as she saw TD. They all looked towards him as he entered.

"Mom..."

"Aunties, grandpa Bright," Bubble said "TD is our friend and these are his children and daughter-in-law."

"William," Bubble said, "These are my aunties," She pointed towards two mares, "...my cousins," she pointed towards twin mares and a filly "...and my grand uncle Bright." She finally pointed towards the aged stallion.

"Hello!" TD and company greeted.

"Wow, I'd say we have quite the gathering here today," Screwball noted with a giggle.

"Mhm!" Diana agreed.

"Well, you know what they say. 'The more, the merrier!'" Zach remarked.

TD chuckled a bit. "I know. We're a bit of an odd bunch, but some claim that we tend to grow on you."

"It's alright," Heart Sparkle giggled. "It's very nice to see all of you."

"Mom, I hope it's fine if he joins us," Bubble said. "Right?"

"Of course dear!" Heart said and used her magic to brought some extra chairs in. "There is plenty of space for everypony."

The twins just shrugged at this. "Whatever!"

"Who IS he?" One of Bubble's aunt who'd creamy white coat and pink mane whispered.

"He's a friend of our nephew-in-law, TD," The other with blue coat and shiny blue mane replied her.

"Of course..." the first one huffed.

Bright just rolled his eyes at this. "Why not?"

TD and his family all sat down at the table and extra dishes were brought forth. TD snapped his fingers and reverted into his pony form, much to the surprise of the others in Bubble's family, and by doing this was able to sit in his seat more comfortably. His sunglasses had appeared over his eyes thankfully, so no one yet freaked out about their gaze.

"Wow!" The eyes of the little filly widened. "How did you do that?"

TD chuckled. "A magician never reveals his secrets. But since I'm not a magician, I can tell you." He looked over at her kindly. "It's what they call a transformation spell. Takes a lot of practice, but if you keep practicing you'll get it down."

"Really?" She clapped her hooves. "It's awesome!"

"Now, now Rose," The mare with the blue coat spoke, "It's not nice to ask questions while eating."

TD giggled. "She's fine. Though your mother's right. Sorry I got you into trouble."

"Dad, you're only in trouble if you get caught," Zach said to him with a mischievous smile as he playfully tried to steal some breakfast off of Screwball's plate. However, she noticed this and caught his hoof while smirking at him.

"I'm in trouble," he said with fake fear.

Sunny and Bold smiled at this, but kept their focus on their meal. The twins couldn't help but giggle at this as well.

"So, what do you guys do for a living if I may ask?" TD inquired, trying to spark up some conversation. After a few moments of silence, the reply came.

"I don't have a job anymore," Heart smiled with shrug. "My uncle owns a business of oat and hay imports and exports."

"My husband is an architect," The mare with the blue coat said.

"You already know about me~" Bubble said with a giggle.

"I'm a musician," The mare with the creamy coat replied with pride. "And my husband is a picture artist."

"What do you do by the way?" Bright asked. TD and his family exchanged looks, then giggled before answering.

"I'm part of Dad's council," Zach answered. "Although whenever I have time off I also work at my friend's tavern."

"I'm a wildlife expert," Diana said, breaking her silent streak for the day.

"I have many talents, but I don't have any official job yet," Screwball replied with a shrug.

"Even though my Cutie Mark was given to me through tracking, I seem to have a knack for baking," Tracker said. "I'm thinking of applying at my local bakery soon."

"I'm with my son; I too am a member of the council back home," TD stated. "Outside that... well, I'm not sure. I guess I'm the local 'fix it up' guy, because I've been asked to help with all kinds of problems."

"Interesting," Heart said and looked towards the other mare. "Isn't that right Nighty?"

"I admit, it is," The blue mare replied with a giggle.

"When we're old enough," One of the twins spoke, "We'll become the most amazing supermodels in the whole of Equestria."

"Good luck with that," TD said, and he sounded like he meant it.

"Just don't push yourselves too far in that area," Screwball warned. "I remember trying that once; it did not end well for me."

"You were wearing that ridiculous golden beartrap in your hair, Screwy," Zach said to her. "And to top it all, you didn't sleep for a full day before that."

Diana started giggling when he said that.

"I agree with the sleep depravity, but the rest is the personal opinions of others," Screwball replied, making it sound like doing the above was a perfectly natural thing to do. Tracker sighed with an amused look on his face.

"Who knows?" TD joked. "Maybe that will become the next great thing."

Bubble giggled at this. "Hopefully."

Zach shook his head while Screwball did a silent victory hoofbump with Tracker. Diana giggled and simply ate in silence for the moment. On TD's dish, a mini conversation had apparently been made between his fork and spoon, which made him chuckle.

"I may not have wanted that to happen," he said, "but it's still an interesting conversation to listen in on."

As soon as he said this, the fork and spoon turned towards him, gave a tiny gasp, then fell back onto the plate.

"Oh sure. NOW they notice I'm listening in on them," TD muttered with a fake pout. The others giggled lightly at this as well.

"TD, you're so unbelievable!" Joy laughed.

"How am I unbelievable?" TD asked. "I'm the most trustworthy person back home."

"I didn't mean..." Joy began, then stopped with a shrug. "Never mind."

"Exactly," TD chuckled. "Never kill the puns, friend." He smirked. "Ain't I cheeky or what?"

"Sometimes too cheeky," Zach stated.

"Says my son, who is cheeky himself," TD teased, ruffling the stallion's mane.

"Eh, you got me there," the pegasus shrugged. After breakfast, Joy, Bubble, and their children started packing their stuff to head back to Canterlot. Today was a special day, for all the Princesses of Equestria , including Bubble, had to be there for that.

"Hey, Bubble," TD said to her. "Have you seen Cold Winter recently? He hasn't showed for a while."

Bubble stared at him in confusion for a moment before she replied.

"I guess... he is in Canterlot," Bubble replied.

"Huh... That would make sense. Otherwise, I pulled all those strings for nothing," he said. TD then gave her a concerned look. "Be careful up there. I predict that the weather might be cloudy with a chance of airships and crazy king."

Bubble gave TD a concerned look at this and asked, "Really? Even after..?"

"This time, he's not Ornos reincarnated," TD explained. "The attack is meant to happen; what Ornos did with his newfound position of power was not." He smiled encouragingly at her. "But don't be scared. You can do it. I know you can. Go easy on Tempest, though; she may be fighting for the wrong side, but deep down she's just hurt inside."

"I promise I will," She said.

"We're done packing!" Suddenly Joy spoke out

"Yeah mom," Sunny said. "Let's go back to Canterlot."

"Yes!" Bold nodded.

"Take care you guys," TD said to the children, kneeling down to view them better. "I got to get back home or Twilight will be mad."

"We will, my friend," Joy said "It was nice seeing you again."

"Same with you, Joy Star," TD nodded. As he said this, his family joined him outside and he chuckled. "I know it's inevitable, so... group hug?"

"Why not?" Joy said and they all gathered in a group hug. "Goodbye William."

As TD hugged them, he noticed a cloaked figure out of the corner of his eye. Confused, he stood up after waiting for the hug to be over and looked over in the figure's direction with a raised eyebrow. The figure seemingly smiled at this as TD heard a voice in his mind.

 _"You wanna know who am I? Well, I'll wait for you outside then."_

Saying this, the figure moved from his place and disappeared before anyone else could notice him.

"Hey, I'll be right back," he said to them. "There's something I need to take care of for a moment."

"Please tell me it's not the ring again," Screwball groaned.

"If it was Screwy, I'd be more discrete about it," TD replied to her, stepping away towards the figure's location.

 _Okay... where'd you go?_ he thought to himself.

 _"Over here,"_ A voice was heard in his mind once again. TD looked towards in the direction of the said voice. There he saw him. A crimson red pony with a white mark on his muzzle was standing there in a cloak.

"We're finally face to face, Mr. TD," He spoke as a smirk crept on his face "I have to say, your most recent adventure would make an awesome addition."

TD lowered his guard. He could sense that so far this new figure posed no threat, and the way he had spoken had TD intrigued. Why did he seem so familiar...?

"Have we met before?" TD asked him.

"Not like this," He chuckled. "But you can say that."

"Hold it... I think I know. Don't tell me..." TD rattled his brain for a moment, then his face lit up. "Evan the Planes-walker, right?"

"Correct," Evan replied. "But just call me Evan; it'd be more convenient."

"Okay, Evan, what brings you to these parts?" TD asked him. "Call me curious."

"To be honest, I sensed what you did with the timeline." Evan stated, as a black book with a galaxy-like emblem appeared in his hoof. "So, you can say that I came here to check the 'changes'." Then book disappeared. "But that's not the only reason I came here for."

"Oh? What else then?" TD asked.

"Well, I am not the only one who knows about the time shift," Evan replied. "And by accident, you may have freed an imprisoned evil sort of thing."

TD groaned. "I should've guessed. Every time. EVERY TIME!" He sighed. "What is it this time?"

"Well, there is a cost for breaking the rules you know." Evan replied with concern as his book appeared in his hoof as it floated in front of him and after flipping a few pages, Evan turned the book towards him. "This is what I am talking about." TD saw an image which somehow looked like a white humanoid dragon with a hideous snack like face and brown shell, and long dark red trails of spikes sprouting from his back.

"It's called Chronothirus," Evan said. "And don't worry, it is bigger than it looks."

"Of course it would be bigger," TD remarked. "Why do they always do that? Make themselves a bigger target so they'll be easier to hit."

"I like your attitude my friend," Evan said, "But just so you know, its name's meaning is the Beast of Time." Then he closed the book. "And as it has awakened now..." He sighed. "...It'll regain its full power in five years or so, and after that, from what I know, it's first target will be you and your world."

"Why me specifically? Also, do you mean my Equestria or my world as in my home planet?" TD asked.

"Your Equestria of course," Evan said. "You, because it was imprisoned by the Guardians of Existence before you and your brothers." Then he sighed. "And trust me, that wasn't easy in any way."

"Dad?" Diana's voice called out and TD looked back over his shoulder. Then he turned back to Evan.

"Thanks for the warning," he said sincerely. "I don't how I can ever repay you."

"No need to thank me." Evan hid his face in the hood as a light shone around him. "We'll meet again really soon. Until then, be careful." Then he was gone. TD sighed as Evan disappeared. So many different things to worry about, and so little time. Could he pull this off? Would he be able to save his family from this monster? He didn't have the answer to that. And his family... he didn't want to lose them. Either of them...

"Dad!"

The shouts of his children snapped him out of his train of thoughts and he finally decided to come into full view of them.

"Yeah?" he asked. "What is it?"

"It looks like you're upset for some reason," Bubble remarked. "Something happen?"

TD halted. He didn't want to lie to them, but he didn't want to tell them what he had heard either.

"I... saw a friend I haven't seen in a while," he answered. "And he told me some... disheartening news."

"Oh," Joy said. "That doesn't sound too good."

"Is evelything allight?" Bold asked. TD managed a smile as he looked to the little colt.

"For now, yes," TD replied. "You don't need to worry."

Screwball gave him an odd look as if she knew he was holding something back, but for the moment kept silent.

"Well... I guess that's good to hear," Tracker said cheerfully.

"Alright, let's just hope that everything will be fine" Bubble said "I guess... we'll be leaving now."

Joy nodded. "Yes, mom must be waiting for us."

Upon hearing this, TD seemed to recall something.

"Remind me to have you visit Celestia back in my Equestria sometime," he told them. "She just recently has been given her own bundle of joy to care for."

"Oh, that's right!" Zach exclaimed. "They haven't heard about Sunshine yet!"

"Sure we'll visit," Bubble replied to him. "I love foals."

"That'll be splendid!" Screwball said with enthusiasm. Suddenly, a portal opened right next to TD and he fell backwards in surprise.

"REALLY?!" he shouted at it. "You couldn't be more inconvenient in timing, so you decided to be inconvenient in placement too?!"

"Sonepony's coming?" Sunny giggled "Or were you just talking to the portal itself?"

"The portal," TD said.

"Well, that's our queue then," Screwball remarked, throwing a hoof around Tracker. "Come on, lover boy! We've got a birthday to celebrate!"

"Who's birthday?" Tracker asked in confusion. Then his face lit up. "Oh... that one."

Diana giggled while Zach shook his head in amusement.

"Birthday?" Joy asked. "Who's birthday?"

"I'll give you a hint," TD spoke up. "It's a Changeling, and we were just talking about her."

Joy chuckled on his own silliness. "Okay."

"Oh dad!" Sunny giggled as she hugged her father. "You act so silly sometimes."

"Okay..." Bubble giggled. "So, goodbye dear friends."

"Goodbye," TD said to them. "Be safe out there."

"Until next time!" Screwball saluted before jumping through the portal with Tracker in tow.

"I'm gonna miss you guys every moment we're gone," Diana remarked as she gave them a final goodbye hug.

"We'll miss you too." Joy said, then to Zach, "Take care of your brother and sister."

"Don't worry. We're family; we stick together like glue," Zach chuckled. "Farewell friends."

They walked through the portal and it closed behind them, leaving to their own world.

"Farewell!" Bubble said and then looked towards her husband. "Let's go my sweetie. Mom must be waiting for us."

"Sure."

With that, they all headed towards the train station. Bubble was a little worried in her heart, but she was surprisingly calm. She looked towards her husband and smiled hopefully.

 _Beware, enemies of Equestria,_ She said in her mind. _We're coming for you._

* * *

 **In case there's a need for clarification, TD pulled a few strings here and there to make sure that his friends wouldn't be forgotten by Bubble, Joy, and their family. However, because he messed with time too much, the Beast of Time is now freed.**

 **With that said and done, I hope you enjoyed! I'll cya next time! Bai!**


	43. Helping Out Michael

**Michael is back in another chapter, friends! This time, to solve some issues.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Zach, the son of TD, trotted down a well-worn path towards the Everfree forest to visit a friend of his father's, Michael, or Sunrise Shield. The blue and green striped pegasus had wanted to give his friend a proper welcome to their area, having not been able to do so before. While approaching, however, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. The feeling only got stronger as he got closer to Michael's home, and when he got there he understood why.

The house was wrecked, as if some kind of battle had taken place there. The door was blown off the hinges, bits of the walls were frozen or charred, and in the air Zach could feel a sense of dread, suggesting a dark presence had only recently been here. Concerned for the safety of the newcomer, Zach called out, "Michael? Michael! You here, man!?"

There was a grunt of pain from inside, before Michael staggered into the doorway, holding onto it with his right hand as his left held onto the handle of his axe so tightly his knuckles were white.

The Pyrunian looked terrible. Blood streamed from a gash on his forehead, and one of his wings was completely shredded. His right leg looked broken, and he was bleeding from numerous cuts on his body, as well as his left side being wrapped up in cloth through which an ominous dark smoke was coming through.

"Zachary Sparkle?" Michael asked, squinting as he wiped blood from his right eye. "That you?"

"Yes," the pegasus nodded, then looked to his wounds. "Oh dear, you look awful! Hang on a sec..."

Zach trotted over to the Pyrunian and gently placed one of his wings on his arm. The wing glowed a soft purple color for a moment, and the wounds slowly closed up and healed themselves. The shredded wing and broken leg even mended themselves as well, albeit more painfully than the others. However, the dark smoke had not gone away just yet.

"That part I don't know if I can help you with," Zach remarked in regards to the smoking wound. "I fear that it may be a form of dark magic that harmed you there."

Michael growled.

"It was. Something I warned your father about." He hissed, before he turned and knelt, pulling something from the wreckage; the metal helm that looked like a dragon head. Turning back around, he stood.

"Go warn your father. Tell him The Shadow has arrived." He said as he slipped the helmet on, fitting it snugly over his head before closing his eyes. The next time he opened them, they were blood red reptilian slits. "And go now!"

Zach nodded, but instead of leaving, he simply spread his wings out and they both glowed with the same purple light. A cloud of feathers suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and when it cleared TD was standing in the room.

"And right when I thought I could get away with it too," TD muttered, then noticed the state of the house. "Sweet Mother of Celestia, what the h*ll happened here?" Before anyone could answer, TD's gaze fell upon the smoking wound of Michael's.

"Oh dear! Michael..." TD managed. "Do you... need help with that?"

Michael shook his head, the helmet now looking less like metal and more like actual scales.

"TD," He said, his voice deeper as he bent over, his body shifting form. "The Shadow has arrived."

As he finished speaking, his shifting stopped, and before Zach and TD stood a large, pure black dragon, it's eyes glowing blood red. The only identifying thing that it had once been Michael was the silver band around its left wrist.

"The Shadow? Ooo..." TD clenched his fists angrily, then sighed and looked to Zach.

"Hey man, I know you had a thing scheduled today, but could you-?" TD started, but Zach held up a hoof and smiled to signal that he'd gotten the message.

"Consider it done Dad," he said. TD smiled and knelt down as the stallion threw his hooves around the human.

"Be safe, okay?" Zach said to him with emotion cracking his voice a bit.

"I will," TD replied. "Tell your mother I love her for me."

Zach nodded, then released TD from the hug and trotted out the door. As he walked out, they heard him make a whistling noise and a large Timberwolf- whom they correctly identified as Plank- rushed out of the forest and walked beside him, heading back for Ponyville. Michael growled, smoke coming from his nostrils.

"You need to know, The Shadow seemed to have a plan." He said, his voice rough and low. "He said something about using the darkest one to gain access to the castle. Any idea about what that might mean?"

As he spoke, Michael used a claw and cut the cloth off his side, pulling it away to reveal a long burn mark that smoked, the flesh of the wound stained a dark purplish-black.

"The only 'darkest one' I can think of would be myself, Phantom Void, and The Pony of Shadows," TD replied. "Phantom is in the Thunder Empire, and the Pony of Shadows is banished to Limbo. That leaves myself."

Michael narrowed his eyes, before they widened.

"The Shadow, he has all my powers, even the transformation one," He said, his voice stiff as he hid his pain. "But because of his powers from darkness, his transformations are more complete then mine. He looks, sounds, feels, even has the memories of the one he changes into." He looked at TD, his eyes wide as he realized their enemies plan. "TD... he's going to transform into you and infiltrate the castle to get to Twilight as you."

TD's eyes widened in surprise, then he clenched his hands in anger.

"If he so much as lays a finger on her..." TD took several breaths to try and calm himself. "I'm sorry. It's just... she means everything to me."

"TD, I know you do. But remember, he'll use her to ransom for you." Michael said, before he changed shape to his human form and pulled the helm off, dragging a finger along it and causing it to shrink into a ring which he slid on his finger, before he lifted his axe.

"Now, how about we get to the castle?" He asked. "We may even beat The Shadow there."

"No need to say it twice," TD remarked, snapping his fingers and having them teleport outside the castle. Michael narrowed his eyes as he sniffed the air, before snarling.

"I smell Dark Ice." He snarled as he took a step forwards, before letting out a hiss of pain and curling an arm around the burn wound, which was now emitting an even darker colored smoke.

"He's inside... TD... we need to... keep moving..." He said, fighting back his pain as he took another step forwards.

"Whoa, slow down man," TD said to him gently but firmly. "You're not gonna be able to do anything with that wound. Let me help you with it..."

Michael paused for a minute, before he nodded. He turned to look at TD, and for an instant his eyes flickered to pure black, before returning to normal as he grit his teeth.

"Do it... but hurry; everyone has their dark sides... I can restrain mine, but this wound isn't helping at all." He growled, before adding, "But it also doesn't help that I gained my dark side by going through that black hole."

TD nodded, then placed his hands on the wound. He began chanting as he drew the darkness from Michael's wound, transferring it to himself. After a good while, he stopped chanting and stepped back. His appearance looked corrupted by the darkness, save for his eyes.

"From light comes darkness, and from darkness, light," TD chanted, and the darkness subsided from him entirely.

"Thanks." Michael grunted, before he closed his eyes, chanting something under his breath, before inhaling sharply.

"TD, The Shadow is already inside." He hissed. "I'm getting vast quantities of dark magic, all around one central location... and I'm getting two life signatures at that location. One dark... and one light..." He looked at TD, black lightning flickering around him as a determined look came into his eyes.

"Grab my shoulder. Now!" He snapped. TD did as told, not bothering to ask. Michael took off in a flash of black lightning, dragging TD along and skidding to a stop in the map room a few seconds later, drawing his axe and causing the blade to light up a bright, almost blinding silver, pushing back the shadows that almost filled the room. As if to indicate that there was danger in the castle, the map had a large dark blob on the map where the Castle was located.

"Oh sure. As if that wasn't enough of an indicator," TD grumbled. "Now, where is it? I hate it when the darkness hides like this!"

Michael tensed as he sensed something, before he grabbed TD and in a burst of black lightning zipped to a spot a few feet away from where they had been standing just as a spike of black Crystal slammed into the ground where TD had been standing.

"Is that enough for you, Terror of Dimensions?" A dark, echoing voice asked as a figure walked out of the darkness, looking exactly like Michael except that his skin was gray, his eyes were red, and had black wisps comic of them. His clothes were the same as Michael's except they were all black, and he had a necklace made of bone around his neck.

"I've come for you, Terror of Dimensions," The Shadow said, grinning wickedly. "You have one day to hand yourself over, otherwise your loved one dies."

As he spoke, he curled one of his hands like a claw, and a tendril of darkness drug Twilight into view, battered and bruised, and bound by dozens of tendrils of darkness. TD's eyes flashed angrily.

"You little... LET HER GO!" he shouted angrily. "She has nothing to do with this!"

Michael growled, before he cursed, grabbing his head. After a few seconds, the Pyrunian lowered his hands from his head and glared at The Shadow, his eyes pure black.

"I agree with TD," He growled in a dark voice. "Let her go. She's innocent."

The Shadow grinned again as he caused the tendril holding Twilight to raise her up into the air, tightening around her neck.

"Love. So... puny," The Shadow sneered. "One day, Terror of Dimensions. One day."

The Shadow snapped his fingers, and the shadows in the room collapsed on him and Twilight. When they cleared, both of them were gone.

"NO!" TD roared, smashing his fist into the ground where they had been standing. In his rage, the impact of the blow caused the floor in that area and in a wide circle around him to crack and even create a small crater. It was a miracle that his hand wasn't busted up. Michael growled, his eyes still pure black. The Pyrunian stalked over to the map and put his hands on it. He murmured some words under his breath, causing the dark blob on the map to move to somewhere deep in the Everfree forest. He murmured something else, and a magenta colored blob appeared near the dark one, pulsating slightly.

"We know were they are now." He said, his voice still dark. "We'll get her back TD. And then I'll destroy The Shadow."

TD didn't answer save for a nod. He was still raging inside and the growls emitting from his form did little to reassure Michael that he was on his side. Michael turned around, his eyes narrowed.

"Terror of Dimensions, get a hold of yourself!" The Pyrunian snapped, his voice carrying an undertone of anger it never usually did. "If you lose control, do you think you'll save Twilight?"

TD finally sighed. "No..." Then he turned to Michael to show that his eyes had reverted into the draconic eyes his pony form usually sported.

"But I won't let him take her from me. I lost too many before her, I'm not losing another!"

Michael grinned, his pure black eyes focused on TD.

"Then I guess it's a good thing your Pyrunian friend traveled through me all those years ago and provided me with a host," He said. "I'm his dark side, or more appropriately the embodied form of the black hole he went through."

Michael raised his hand, curling the fingers into a fist. Then he let out a murmured curse as he stumbled, and the Pyrunian's eyes went back to their normal colors.

"Ow... haven't let him out in forever... now I have a headache." Michael grunted, massaging his temples.

"Ooo! Another evil personality within one host. This should be interesting," TD remarked, finally snapping out of his rage, if only temporarily. Michael grunted, before pointing at the map.

"I suggest we bring Zach and Plank." He said. "We'll need all the backup we can get."

"I'd take Diana too, but while she is an able combatant, she prefers to stay away from that. Plus, she has a boyfriend to worry about," TD started throwing ideas. "Screwball and Tracker would be handy to have on deck... assuming I can find them. The only one I know who'd be available at the moment is Fragment Soul."

Michael grinned. "That's the duplicator, right?" He asked, trying to remember what he knew about this world through 4th wall breaking.

"Indeed. Ironically, he's only able to do this because of a tragic accident with the Mirror Pool as a colt," TD explained. "He can create hundreds of thousands of clones of himself, which could come in handy." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I could bring Red and Bill into this, but that requires a cross-dimensional jump. And in all honesty, do you really want a Sonic crossover?"

Michael shrugged.

"Not really." He murmured, focusing back on the map before he reached into a pocket and pulled out a scroll. He tossed it to TD.

"This came to me when you left my place after I first told you about The Shadow," the Pyrunian said. "I think you'd better read it."

TD looked to Michael, then opened the scroll and read the contents. The scroll held four lines:

[i]"One with wings and one of Chaos, against the darkest one,  
A fight shall come, inevitable to prevent.  
Whether it shall be lost, or it shall be won,  
Must be decided before all are content."[i]

Michael waited until he was sure TD had read it all, before speaking.

"My ability to see multiple futures means sometimes I receive prophecies. I can't give you specific details though; my prophetic powers once I get a prophecy block off all futures that would show me the outcome."

TD looked up at him.

"Well, I can give one benefit of a doubt," he said. "Prophecies are visions of what SHOULD be, not what WILL be. I've learned that the hard way a few times before." He sighed. "Now the question is... does this work to our advantage or not?"

Michael stared deadpan at TD.

"Well I don't know. It's possible the same gift of prophecy which gave me nightmares of my world being destroyed for months before you came to it is just handing us some useless information," He said flatly, his voice carrying an undertone of hurt. "Maybe you'd like me to just do it like most people and 'wing it?'"

"That's how I usually do it, but that's not how you have to," the entity replied. "Also, I'm just saying man. Sorry if it offends you that I don't usually rely on prophecies being accurate all the time. Now, can we cut the chatter and get our backup? Or... wait..." TD gave a puzzled expression, then smiled. "Okay, apparently they somehow got the message. Did I accidentally do it again?"

Michael blinked, before shrugging.

"I can do so much in this form, but like you said, when I go dragon I'm a bigger target."

The Pyrunian said, before he stopped and looked down at his right hand, where another ring that wasn't his helm sat. On the face of the ring was a stylized purple lightning bolt going through a black circle. He grinned mischievously.

"But," He said. "I can make a distraction for you all's approach." As he spoke, black lightning flickered faintly around him. TD grinned in a devious manner.

"Got it," he remarked. "Let's get a move on then."

He snapped his fingers and they found themselves in front of Everfree, along with a few other figures: Zach, Plank, and a greenish-blue pony with a Cutie Mark that showed two figures separated by an arrow that pointed to one of them, indicating his power.

"TD," Fragment Soul saluted. "We arrived as soon as we could."

"Which 'we' are you referring to?" TD asked him.

"Ourselves, of course," Fragment answered. TD sighed.

"Still needs work," he muttered, then looked to his son and the Timberwolf beside him. "How'd you get here?"

Zach smiled. "I used one of your tricks. Fourth Wall breaking, baby!"

"That's my boy!" TD exclaimed as he high-fived the stallion. Michael rolled his eyes before his form blurred slightly, his wings disappearing. He held out his right hand as the black lightning started crackling more fiercely around him, and black cloth came out of the ring, wrapping around his arm and slowly covering him until he wore a single piece suit, purple lightning bolts woven into the black fabric. A white circle with a purple lightning bolt across it was on the center of his chest, and on the mask he wore from the sides came two purple spikes.

"I sort of one time decided to drop in on the world of DC comics." He said in explanation. "I had speedster powers, so I fashioned a suit based off of the worlds local speedsters suit." The Pyrunian seemed to pause for a few seconds, before adding in a fearful tone of voice, "Just please don't tell Rarity about this. I really don't want to have to add a ward to my home to repel fashionistas."

"What? You two have a thing or something?" TD teased.

"Later, Dad," Zach warned, then looked to Plank as he fished out something TD had not expected him to bring out; a necklace that looked as though it had a star for a gem.

"That's... the one I gave her... before..." TD started, then he growled in anger again. Zach sighed sadly, then held it in front of Plank.

"Fine Mom, buddy," he said to the Timberwolf. Plank gave it a few sniffs, then made a howl as he took off into the forest.

"He's got the scent!" Zach shouted, following in hot pursuit. "Come on!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" TD called, rushing after them as well.

Michael took off in a burst of black lightning, overtaking them all and racing ahead into the forest. As he ran, he felt a sharp blast of dark energy that caused him to skid to a stop. With wide eyes, he turned and raced back the way he had come, skidding to a stop in front of TD and holding out his hands.

"TD! I need to tell you something!" Michael yelled.

"Make it snappy!" TD told him. "And yes, I sensed it too!"

"The Shadow's gone into his shadow form," Michael said. "That means he's trying to possess someone. And the only person close to him is..."

His voice trailed off, waiting for TD to finish his unfinished thought.

"Twilight, right? Please tell me I'm wrong; I'd so love to be wrong right now," TD stammered. Michael's face was grim.

"You're right," He said, before he pulled his mask up over his face as black lightning flickered in his eyes. "I'll run ahead, see if there's anything I can do. Want me to bring anyone along with me? I'd feel better bringing backup."

TD was thoughtful for a second, then said, "Plank! He can tell if it's the real Twilight or a fake. Plus, he's a loyal companion that doesn't fall easily in a fight."

At the mention of his name, Plank rushed over to TD, who knelt down and looked the Timberwolf in his green glowing eyes.

"Stay with Michael," he ordered. "He needs help scouting ahead."

Plank nodded, then gave a bark as he walked over to Michael's side. Michael nodded, before speaking softly.

"TD, The Shadow's Shadow form isn't used for transformation; it's used for literal possession. And The Shadow is notorious for destroying the sanity of anyone he possesses," He said, before crouching and laying a hand on Plank's shoulder. "If necessary, I'll have to battle The Shadow in my energy form to protect Twilight."

Michael stopped talking, before he took off, black lightning swirling around him and Plank as he carried the Timberwolf with him.

"Wait... possession?!" TD flared up, but the duo was already gone.

Meanwhile, in Michael's arms, Plank kept his senses on high alert so he could warn Michael at a moment's notice. As they flew along, Plank suddenly perked his ears up and gave a couple of barks and a howl to let Michael know he had detected something worth noting. Michael skidded to a stop, putting Plank down.

"Which way?" He asked, his eyes darting around. Plank pointed off to the right with his paw, then gave a low growl directed at something in the direction he had pointed. Michael looked in that direction, his eyes glowing brighter as he strained to see what it was. Plank slowly got down on the ground and advanced slowly, still growling a bit. Whatever it was, he didn't like it and something told Michael that it wasn't nice. His suspicions were confirmed when a large blast of dark magic suddenly fired from the trees and struck the Timberwolf, shattering him into a pile of kindling. That shock only lasted for a second thankfully, because almost immediately the pile of kindling quickly reformed back into the snarling Timberwolf. Michael crouched as his speedster suit got sucked into his ring at the same time his wings reappeared. The Pyrunian thrust out his right hand, and a few seconds later a cracking noise could be heard as his axe flew through the trees, the handle smacking into the palm of his hand. With a growl, Michael crept forwards, on edge and alert for anything.

Just as he did, there was a loud bang and TD's voice was heard shouting, "Get off of me!"

Another bang, and a green and blue blur flew past them and crashed into a tree nearby, revealing it to be a wounded Zachary. Plank immediately stopped growling and whimpered desperately as he rushed over to the pegasus and licked his face to try and get a reaction. It worked, and the pegasus's eyes fluttered open.

"Dad... Mom... over there..." he managed, pointing with his wing. Plank whimpered again, then looked to Michael. Even though he couldn't speak, it was too clear what his message was.

 _"Go. I'll watch over him."_

Michael nodded, before he took off, crashing through the trees until he skidded to a stop, sensing TD nearby as he raised his axe, tense and on edge. the edge of his axe blade glowed with an icy white light; the Pyrunian had charged up his ice elemental magic and was ready to use it.

"Where are you!?" Michael screamed in defiance. "Come and take me on if you dare!"

"Fus Roh Dah!"

A burst of power erupted on the left and two figures flew through the air and landed nearby, the second crashing to the ground. One was TD, the other appeared to be Twilight, but something was off about her. Michael narrowed his eyes, a animalistic growl coming from his throat as he recognized their enemy.

"Get out of her!" He screamed. "She's an innocent."

Twilight raised her head, and a harsh laugh came from her mouth.

"So puny. I'll destroy you after I destroy the Terror of Dimensions, Michael Watcher," The Shadow sneered in Twilight's voice.

"Stop this!" TD shouted. "Please... she had no part in this! Why are you doing this?! If you wanted to kill me, you could've done just that without roping her in this!" Tears were falling from his eyes. "Please... take me instead, but let her go."

The Shadow seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, before snarling.

"Fine." He growled, before streams of darkness started pouring out of Twilight. As the last one left her and the darkness resolved into the form of The Shadow, the magenta alicorn dropped to the ground. Michael hissed dangerously, the ground at his feet freezing solid as a thin layer of frost started creeping across the ground. TD snapped his fingers as soon as Twilight was free of The Shadow, causing her to teleport away from him and behind Michael.

"Precaution," he said bluntly as if it was to be expected, then stepped forward slowly. The Shadow grinned as a long, scythe-like blade appeared in his hand. He laughed wickedly as tendrils of shadow appeared around him and shot towards TD, wrapping around him. The Shadow walked up to TD and leaned in close.

"A bit of knowledge," The Shadow hissed. "Never trust my word."

As he spoke, multiple dark figures stepped out of the trees, quickly surrounding Michael, who crouched over Twilight, his axe blade gleaming like pure ice as his eyes glowed bright.

Michael made eye contact with TD, asking a silent question with his eyes: D _o you have a plan?_

Instead of replying or cowering in fear, TD smirked.

"Never trust the darkness," he said. "Hence the reason I DO have a backup plan."

Summoning as much strength as he dared, TD snapped his fingers again and a blood-red figure appeared next to Michael brandishing a cruel iron sword.

"Servant!" TD called to the figure. "Protect Twilight."

"I live only to serve," the Nazgul replied in his dark voice, then poised himself for combat.

"I hope you don't intend to start this party without us," another voice asked as Fragment Soul appeared, having managed to catch up to them. He smirked and several clones of himself appeared all at once, two or three for each dark figure there. TD grinned at the Shadow.

"What? I used to be a villain. Getting double-crossed and people not holding up their end was kind of expected in that line of work."

Michael grinned, before he took off running. Black lightning arced behind him, and every so often a streak broke of until Michael skidded to a stop. All the other streaks of lightning skidded to a stop as well, revealing eleven clones of Michael, each one having lightning arcing around them.

"Engage the dark shadows!" Michael yelled as he raced towards TD and The Shadow, as his clones engaged the Dark forms, Michael raced up to The Shadow and uppercut him, sending their opponent flying backwards as the tendrils of shadow dissipated around TD, The Shadow's grip on them lost thanks to Michael's attack. TD reacted almost as quickly. With one hand, he placed a small but incredibly strong shield around Twilight's form, while lifting the other hand into the air.

"I'm totally gonna get sued for this," he muttered, then shouted in a loud voice, "SHAZAM!"

Red lightning fell from the sky and shocked The Shadow's form, actually doing some damage to the dark figure. TD smirked, then fired a blast of magic from his other hand at any of the shadows that came near him or Twilight.

Meanwhile, the Nazgul was holding his own against two of the Dark forms at once. Whoever the Nazgul had once been in life before TD employed him under his service, he obviously was a master of the blade. He was the superior of the skirmish and it was clear that the two Dark forms didn't stand a chance against him; soon he'd finish them off. Fragement Soul's clones were managing to take on the other forms as well. While they didn't possess the size or overall strength of their opponents, they seemed able to inflict damage to the Dark forms quite easily and used their numbers to their advantage. In one case, a Dark form had at least five of the clones pummeling it all at once, not giving it any opportunity to stand or retaliate.

The Shadow stood, raising his hands as darkness swirled around him.

"Feel my wrath!" He screamed, as a barrage of dark elemental magic shot at TD and Michael. Michael threw up a hand and a pure shield of ice formed, only to get shattered to bits. The Pyrunian grunted in pain, his hand steaming. TD, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any problem deflecting the dark magic from him. And Michael soon realized why when he sensed another surge of energy radiating from TD. Something about The Shadow hurting Twilight had triggered something in TD's brain; something had snapped and caused him to start exceeding the limits to his power he had personally placed upon himself.

"Tas!" TD cried out, causing magical cords to suddenly appear and entangle The Shadow, slowly forcing him towards the ground. Even so, TD couldn't resist throwing orbs of magic into the inky darkness's form for good measure. Michael narrowed his eyes at TD, deciding to keep an eye on him as he began to build up his own power.

The Shadow flared at TD as his eyes turned pure red. "You think you've won boy, but you're wrong."

He hissed as the ropes binding him started to smoke and The Shadow's skin started to glow slightly. TD glared at The Shadow hard.

"Don't try it," he warned. "I will destroy you if I have to, and I don't give a [bleep!] what Twilight would say about it!"

He charged up some magic in his hands and waited in anticipation. Michael finally stepped in front of TD, his different colored eyes hard.

"Enough TD," He said as he thrust a claw-like hand at The Shadow, causing him to freeze in place as he stopped time around him. The Pyrunian stepped up to TD and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You know you do care about what Twilight would say," He said softly. "Now, I need your help."

With that, the Pyrunian drew back his axe and threw it, the blade turning into pure light as it flew through the air, chopping down every dark clone while avoiding the clones of Michael and Fragment Soul. Michael walked over to Twilight and knelt, putting a hand to the alicorn's head. TD noticed what he was doing and his face suddenly lit up with concern.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked. Normally, he'd know what was wrong, but his attention had been focused elsewhere. Michael turned, his eyes narrowed.

"Mind's a mess. The Shadow must have basically had to shred her sanity to even have a chance of possessing her," He said. "I can heal her, but I'll need your help and power."

"Anything for her..." TD said without hesitation. He placed his hand on her head too and almost immediately he started crying as he sensed the damage done to her.

"Oh Twi... my little North Star... what did he do to you?" he said aloud in grief.

"TD! Look at me!" Michael snapped, his eyes flaming with determination. "Grab my shoulder and focus on channeling your power into me. I can fix this with your help, but I'll need to do it from inside her mind... so I need to go energy form with both of us and enter her to fix the damage done. Then we can deal with The Shadow."

TD nodded. "Then you may have my power... with my consent. But be warned, it will try to corrupt you and split your mind in half like it did to me. If you wish to spare yourself, you must focus on who you really are. Do you consent to this transferal?"

TD spoke as if he required his consent, and reinforced it when he asked again. "Michael, do you consent to this transferal of my power into you?"

Michael hesitated, before he nodded.

"I do." He said. "And I can control it."

"Then you've been warned..."

TD placed his other hand on Michael's shoulder, and he was almost instantly bombarded with the power TD possessed. It was... unfathomable; never had he felt such power could exist, but it did. And it was currently pulling at his mind.

"You can't control it with one mind," a voice said in his head temptingly. "We can help control... two minds in one body, to balance the power within."

Michael grimaced, before a voice in his head spoke. The voice was cold and dark, filled with unfathomable power and darkness.

"Begone! For as long as I exist, there shall be none others in this body!" The voice said, and to enforce its words a blast of powerful magic pushed the voices away.

Michael slowly nodded at TD, before he concentrated, turning both himself and TD into pure energy before going into Twilight.

* * *

Inside, they saw what perhaps would've been a nice sight to see. Memories of Twilight's life from her time as a filly up to the present could be seen reflected as pictures in the sky or on the ground nearby. However, they all were shattered and broken apart, scattered about like yesterday's trash. The only remnants of her memories, and therefore her sanity, that remained were those of TD. As curious a detail as that was, TD couldn't contain his grief when he saw this.

"It's... terrible..." he managed. "That... monster!"

Michael nodded, grunting as he fell to one knee. The air around him crackled with raw power as he started charging up his own power, combining it with the power TD was channeling into him as his eyes lit up pure white as waves of power started radiating off of his body. The memories slowly started to reform like a movie picture in reverse. But as it did, they both heard a whimpering nearby. TD looked around, but didn't see anyone at first. But when one of the memories had been fixed, he noticed barely, just barely, the transparent form of Twilight appearing before them, sobbing.

"Twilight...?" TD's voice cracked at the sight he was seeing. Michael managed to open his mouth, and when he spoke it was a combination of his normal voice and the voice of his dark side.

"Go to her... it's possible she'll be able to hear you," He said, raw energy starting to glow around his hands. "I've got this. I've absorbed enough of your power to complete the job."

TD nodded and walked over to Twilight as her image became more solid. She noticed him and was silent for a moment, then she spoke.

"William... he- he tried to-"

TD shushed her by kneeling down and pulling her into a hug, somehow able to make contact with her still-transparent form. She buried her face into his shoulder as her forelegs and wings hugged him back tightly, as if she was afraid he'd disappear if she let go.

"Oh my precious Princess," he cooed comfortingly. "It's okay, now. I got you. You're gonna be okay."

Michael bent over, grunting slightly as he placed his hands flat against the ground. In a strained voice, he hissed, "Waise heill."

As soon as he spoke those two words, a shockwave of energy radiated out from him, fixing all the damage The Shadow had caused. He let out a long shaky breath, before saying ,"TD, it's done. It's time for us to return to the real world."

TD didn't answer, but continued to comfort Twilight where he was.

"She is still scarred terribly," he said softly. Michael nodded, before he stood and walked up to Twilight and TD. He knelt down, flaring his wings slightly.

"I think I can help some, but I need your permission Twilight. Yours as well TD," He said. "I know a spell that can lessen the shock she's bound to be going through right now."

"If you think it'll work... then do it," TD answered. Twilight didn't speak yet, but instead nodded a little. Her form, meanwhile, became less transparent; she now was almost solid again. Michael nodded, before he reached out and laid a hand flat on Twilight's forehead. He closed his eyes, before he began to chant in a language foreign to even TD; the extinct language of his home world of Pyrus. As he chanted, his fingers glowed a soothing blue color, before it slowly seeped into Twilight, working through her body and lessening the shock she was experiencing, as well as bringing some of her happiest memories to the front of her mind in order to help make her less scared. Slowly, her form became fully solid and she stopped trembling in her husband's arms. She still seemed bad as it was, but TD was smiling now.

"She'll be fine now," he said to Michael. "She just needs some rest. I'll take her back to the castle once we get back."

Michael nodded, before he took a hold of TD's arm, turning them into pure energy again as he took them out of Twilight, returning them to normal as they reappeared in the real world. Michael stretched some, before he suddenly exclaimed something in Pyrunian, something that sounded like a curse.

"Zachary!" He hissed, crouching as lightning flickered around him. "Last time I saw him he was hurt!"

The Pyrunian took off, heading towards where he had last seen Plank and Zach and casting up a trail of leaves and twigs behind him because of his speed. Once there, he found that the pegasus had apparently recovered enough to stand with support, the Timberwolf using his larger body as a support for his dad. Zach looked to Michael and his draconic eyes flashed with worry.

"Mom! Is she...?" he asked. Michael gave the pegasus a small smile.

"Your mother's fine. Now, I believe you're entitled to be present when we decide what to do with The Shadow," He said, anger flaring in his eyes as he mentioned The Shadow's name. Zach nodded and with Plank's help they walked back to where The Shadow and his army were still frozen. TD was still embracing Twilight as he had in her mind, barely noticing his friends' approach. Nearby, Fragment's clones and even the Nazgul were still frozen in time, but judging from the positions they were in, they were already on the winning side. Michael walked up to The Shadow, his eyes burning with fury as he curled his hand into a fist, unfreezing The Shadow only before snapping his arm out at lightning speed and clamping a dampening collar around The Shadow's neck, making it so none of his powers would work.

The Shadow growled at Michael, his red eyes darting around and glaring at everyone present with pure hatred. As that was happening, the last of The Shadow's minions had been taken care of and the gang was assembling to decide The Shadow's fate. Fragment Soul, Zachary and Plank looked up at The Shadow with glares that could kill, the Nazgul simply stared up at the dark entity with no expression to be seen in the empty void that made up where his face would be, Twilight (who had recovered considerably by now) looked to him with some fear, and TD seemed to have a fire in his eyes that suggested what was already on his mind. Michael glared at The Shadow, before he closed his eyes, opening them again to reveal them pure black.

"The Shadow, you stand accused and guilty of multiple accounts of murder and for trying to destroy the sanity of an innocent bystander," The Pyrunian spoke, his voice dark, indicating it was his dark side speaking. "I wish I were to choose your fate, but I am leaving that up to TD."

TD looked to those around him, then to Twilight. Although she didn't say anything, for once he could tell that she was letting this be his call. He glared at The Shadow and got into his face.

"I should destroy you permanently for what you did," he said darkly. "I should disintegrate you into nothing. But that's too good a punishment for you. No, I have something FAR more dreadful for you..."

TD snapped his fingers and a mysterious dark portal appeared nearby. Zach noticed this and his eyes widened.

"The Void..." the pegasus whispered. The Shadow snarled at TD, and started saying something in a foreign tongue, the words harsh and stinging.

Michael hissed. "He's using a non-body-bound spell!" He exclaimed as his hands suddenly lit up with a dark, light-consuming black energy.

"Not on my watch," TD snarled, then shouted, "Immobulus!"

The Shadow was suddenly frozen in place, but TD wasn't done yet. For extra precautions, he also started laying on a few other spells to keep him contained.

"A hex spell here, a magical lock spell there, and a dash of mortality," TD stated, the last part simply being a joke. Michael shot a quick deadpan look at TD, before thrusting our a hand, a blast of pure blackness slamming into The Shadow's chest.

"Let's get rid of him, and quickly." Michael snarled, his voice full of pure fury.

"With pleasure," TD smirked. "Stand back from the portal, everyone."

The others obliged, not liking the looks of it anyways. TD's image then turned into one that was new to Michael: it was still his human form, but now one half made of darkness and the other of light. A red glowing object appeared in his hand and he thrust it towards The Shadow, which triggered some kind of gravitational pull from the portal that only affected the dark entity.

"You have no power here, Servant of Darkness!" TD chanted, his voice split into three voices at once; his three personalities all united in this moment. "You are nameless! Faceless! Formless! I cast you beyond space and time, beyond memory, beyond existence! I banish you to the depths of The Void from where there is no return! YOU. ARE. BANISHED!"

At the last words, the gravitational pull became too great for The Shadow, and he found himself being pulled slowly into the portal without any means to escape. The Shadow glared at TD, not speaking out loud, but still his dark voice worked it's way into the humans head.

"I lay my curse on you, Terror of Dimensions! When you need it most, your powers will fail you! You will be like all other humans, powerless to do anything against your enemies!"

With that said, The Shadow disappeared into the portal. Michael stepped forwards as he pulled a metal orb from his pocket, throwing it into the portal behind The Shadow. TD powered down and seemed to find the Shadow's threat amusing.

"Typical. Curses," TD chuckled. "When will they learn that they just don't affect me?"

Michael turned to TD, his eyes still pure black. A grin crossed his face.

"That," He said in his dark voice, "was the most fun I have had in several centuries."

He extended his hand towards TD. "Pleasure to meet you Terror of Dimensions. My name is Voidless Darkness. I'm Michael's Dark side, and the last of the sentient black holes that remain."

"Okay, no offense, but REALLY?!" TD shouted. "What. Are. Black Holes?! Are they gravitational spots? Gateways to other worlds or dimensions? Make up your minds, people!" He sighed. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. Pleased to meet you... I think."

The Pyrunian glared at TD, but as he opened his mouth to say something he stumbled, falling to one knee as he did so.

"Ow... major headache alert..." Michael groaned, his voice back to normal. As he stood up and looked at TD again his eyes were back to normal.

"Hey Michael, you okay man?" TD asked him. "Voidless Darkness must not be an easy force to contain."

Michael grunted. "That's the understatement of a century," He grumbled. "Voidless Darkness is a force of destruction; the utter opposite of me. Each time he gets out, it's harder for me to reign him in... he wants to see everything destroyed."

The Pyrunian looked at TD, before saying, "Mind if I stay in the castle TD? It's going to take a while to fix my cottage; The Shadow screwed up everything pretty bad with his dark magic."

"Of course," TD nodded. "The Castle has plenty of room, and it's been a while since the guest rooms were used." He then added, "And just between you and me, there is one way to keep him from simply running loose; find a common ground. It's not easy, but it's worth it in the end... at least for me."

"I'll try.. but when we get back TD, there is something I have to talk to you about," Michael replied, turning his axe back into a coin and slipping it into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out, he was wearing a new ring that had a small sapphire in it.

"Now, we going back or what?" He asked, glancing around. "Cause I don't know about y'all, but personally the Everfree forest ain't my favorite place to be in for a long time."

"It's much tamer here than your place, but I see where you're going with this," TD agreed.

"Let's go. I need a hospital," Zach remarked, making Plank give him a bark that sounded very close to a laugh.

"And... I need time... to forget what happened..." Twilight managed.

"Take all the time you need, Princess," Fragment said with a nod. "After what you went through today, I don't blame you."

"Then hold on to your hats," TD stated, snapping his fingers. In an instant, they all were standing in front of the Castle of Friendship, and it wasn't long before the others started going their separate ways. Zach, after some insistence from Plank, rode on the Timberwolf's back as he headed for the hospital, Fragment Soul trotted off in the direction of the local pub, and the remaining four walked inside. The Nazgul had kept eerily silent this whole time, the only sound made from him being the sound of metal boots on the crystalline floors.

"TD, Twilight... can I trust you both?" Michael asked suddenly, nervously fidgeting with a golden armband that had somehow appeared on his arm without TD noticing.

"Trust you with what?" TD began, but then noticed Twilight still shuddering a bit. "Hold that thought."

TD gently lifted Twilight in his arms and off the ground, then a surge of energy left his body and in his place stood a darker version of TD holding Twilight with the original version standing beside him. The darker version had red eyes, deathly pale skin, and a pair of vampire fangs; it was TD's dark, or evil, personality given solid form.

"I'll take her up to our room," the darker TD said to the other. TD nodded to him and he started to walk away. As he did, they heard Twilight whimper something to the darker personality.

"Don't leave me, please," she whimpered.

"I won't. I promise," the dark personality said to her, and despite his dark voice it sounded genuine. TD waited until his dark personality had left, then looked back to Michael. The Nazgul still remained, eerily silent as always.

"You were saying?" he asked. Michael stopped, before he sighed.

"I'm more then you think I am." He said simply, before his entire form shifted. Standing before TD was a large brown alicorn, standing at the same height as Celestia. His mane and tail were a fiery red color, streaked with black and waving ethereally, exactly like Celestia's, and his eyes were green. His Cutie Mark was a pocket watch surrounded by what looked like tangles of string, although if you looked closely you could see that the "string" was moving slightly. The most notable feature, however, was the small golden crown on his head, the symbol of a black scythe over a white flame inlaid into it.

"After I crash landed on Earth, once I was thirty years of age, I decided to try traveling between worlds," The alicorn said. "Although I did it successfully, I ended up in the distant past of my Equestria, around the time of the Pillars. I created this form and hid from them, until I decided to reveal myself to Celestia and Luna." His gaze got distant, and his voice was soft the next time he spoke. "I became like a brother to them, and became their closest advisor."

The alicorn bowed to TD, before announcing in his rich and smooth voice, "I am Prince Tempus; Prince of Time, Life, and Death."

TD was silent for a moment, then chuckled.

"Well, I'd say I'm surprised, but at this point I'm used to things like this," he remarked. "Prince of Time, Life AND Death? That's a lot of jobs to take care of." He then got a curious expression. "But... how does this rope me in exactly?"

Michael, or Tempus, raised his head, dark blue magical energy glowing around his horn as a familiar shape materialized in a holographic form, something that a certain someone had shown him very recently.

"Look familiar?" Tempus asked, his horn still glowing with magic. "It should, for if not then what Evan said didn't make an impact on you."

"The Beast of Time? Yeah, Evan told me about that," TD said. "It's... honestly a worrisome detail."

"Yes, it is." Tempus said, as holographic screens started flickering into view, showing scenes of ponies. One of the screens caught TD's eyes, because it showed something that had already happened; their fight against The Shadow. A few of the screens showed TD involved in events that he had no recollection of being part of, which was slightly confusing. And then one of the screens showed a hologram of Twilight in their room, TD's dark form with her.

"Ask any question you have TD, and I shall answer them," Tempus said, the hologram of the Beast of Time fading away as the alicorn sat, his horn still alight with magic as he closed his eyes, a peaceful look crossing his face.

"Okay... How long have you been spying on us? How bad is this thing? And also... what's with those ones I'm in over there?" TD asked. "I don't recall doing those things. Unless it's the future, then it makes sense."

Tempus chuckled, his eyes still closed.

"Yes, those are of the future," He answered, before a holographic screen flickered into view right between him and TD, showing a picture of TD coming into Equestria before he had been reformed. "And as Tempus, I have been watching you for a while TD. You cause death all around you, and I sense it. Even right now, there is a stallion in Manehatten about to die from a heart attack, a nice young couple who's lives are about to be ended because of a storm that will sink their boat, and there are the multitudes of ponies on the brink of death in hospitals all around Equestria."

"Okay, that's a bit creepy," TD remarked. "The last time I saw anyone do that was with the Grim Reapers. And they make it unnecessarily creepy."

Tempus grunted.

"I am nothing like the Grim Reapers." He said angrily, before composing himself. "And to answer your question about how bad the Beast of Time is, maybe you would like to see one of the futures where it wins?"

A holographic screen flickered into view, its picture in full color. In the picture, TD was lying defeated on the ground as the said Beast stood over him, roaring triumphantly. All around him, Equestrians were screaming and running for their lives. But it wasn't just the Beast of Time they were running from. No, that came in the form of figures too blurry and out of focus for TD to recognize... until he saw a second figure come alongside the Beast of Time and rolled the TD in the vision on his back. All TD could recognize was a pair of large red robotic eyes glowing in the shadow of the Beast, and the four arms he possessed as he brought them down into the human's skull...

"STOP!" TD shouted, accidentally using a command spell and causing Tempus to make the visions disappear. Tempus opened his eyes and focused them on TD.

"I live as Tempus whenever I can, for as Tempus I am shielded from Voidless Darkness," The alicorn explained. "But if I am to live as Tempus in this world, I will need to be announced to the Equestrians. It would be awkward trying to hide my wings in public all the time."

A small grin crossed his face, and he added, "And I believe Celestia is the pony we must see for that."

"Yes... she would be," TD agreed. "Tia's well aquainted with... just about anything I've thrown at her, so she could solve that part immensely."

"Then, shall we get going?" The brown alicorn asked as he stood, stretching his wings. His horn sparked, and one hologram flickered into view briefly, showing a scene of Tempus using his magic to levitate six gemstones in front of him, five of them resembling what the Elements of Harmony had looked like in the past while the sixth one was a five pointed star. The vision disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, although Tempus seemed slightly nervous now. TD snapped his fingers and they both teleported into the throne room of Canterlot, where Celestia, apparently, had just managed to finish her royal duties and had brought out Sunshine beside her. When she noticed TD and Tempus, she smiled not looking at all surprised.

"Hello William," she greeted. "Who's your friend?"

Tempus bowed, before he stood, his green eyes twinkling slightly.

"My name is Prince Tempus; prince of Time, Life, and Death," he greeted, before adding with a wry smile, "But also I am Michael Watcher. This is the form I truly appreciate the most, next to my original one."

While he didn't say anything else, in the back of his head he was thinking about how he had accidentally let the vision of him when he had first created what he thought were his greates gift to his world, The Elements of Time, appear in a holographic form in front of TD. Hopefully, neither TD nor Celestia would ask him about them, although he was certain Celestia, all-knowing as she was, wouldn't know about them. The temple he had built to hold them made sure of that. Or he was thought it did at least...

 _Good going Tempus. You're giving yourself a headache,_ The alicorn thought wryly as his head started to hurt.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tempus," Celestia said to him with a friendly bow. "This is my daughter Sunshine."

Celestia brought forth the eight-eyed Changeling baby, who giggled at the sight of the male alicorn before her. Tempus smiled at the Changeling baby, before he closed his eyes in concentration, his horn lighting up with dark blue magic. Small tendrils of it started weaving together in front of him on the floor, until he stopped, releasing his magic. Bending down, he picked up a tiny golden crown, which looked to be a smaller copy of the one Celestia wore, before he used his magic and levitated it over to Sunshine, a tear rolling down his face as he thought of two children he had yet to meet.

"It's a pleasure seeing a young one so happy," He said, clearing his throat. "Sorry. Being Prince of Time means I can see everything to do with it... and that includes the futures where I have two beautiful children of my own... sometimes it's hard for me not to get emotional, because even though they haven't been born yet I know so much about them..."

Celestia nodded. "I understand. It's a rather emotional feeling, isn't it?" She giggled. "But this little one is worth it all."

"Does she have to eat much?" TD asked. "I mean, I know babies require a lot of attention and all, but..."

Celestia chuckled. "Don't worry, she doesn't seem to require any solid food for survival, and she gets more love than she needs from me and the rest of the staff. I think it's safe to say that she's quite safe in that regard."

TD sighed, then noticed something that he had overlooked before; the bags under Celestia's eyes.

"Hey, you don't look too good Tia," he said to her. "When's the last time you had a nap?"

"Um..." Celestia couldn't seem to answer that one.

"That's it, you need a babysitter," TD stated. "And I'm not taking no for an answer."

Celestia couldn't help but smile at this action.

"Don't worry William, I've been asking around, and I think I may have a good catch pretty soon," she reassured him.

"Thank goodness! You really shouldn't push yourself so far, Tia," TD said to her. Tempus allowed himself a soft chuckle, and he was about to speak when he got a strange feeling in his lungs, like he couldn't breath. Curious, the alicorn closed his eyes and his horn lit up with his magic, and after a few seconds his eyes flew open, a look of grim determination in them.

"Celestia, are there any royal guards or members of your staff who have some kind of breathing problem or health issue that involves their lungs?" He asked, his voice serious and no longer carrying the laid-back tone it had earlier.

"Come to think of it... yes," Celestia answered. "One of the new recruits has recently suffered a few asthma attacks. I had him sent home. Why?"

TD looked to Tempus. "Is he dead?"

Tempus shook his head. "Not yet, but he is having an attack that's really bad. I can sense his surroundings... but they're not what I would have expected if you sent him home. Right now I'm picking up dampness, dust... and stone!?" The alicorn blinked, puzzled. "I'm totally lost right now."

"Dungeon?" TD suggested. "Or basement? That's always an option."

Tempus blinked, before shrugging.

"I can't tell that, but I do have a general location... I can't teleport us there, but I do have a way to make it so he has more time..." The alicorn stated, before his horn lit up, and TD and Celestia could tell this spell was different from the others he had been casting so far. The energy coming off his horn was powerful, and after a minute or two six gemstones slowly materialized in front of him; the same gemstones from the vision that had appeared briefly before Tempus and TD left the castle in Ponyville.

"What... are those?" TD asked him.

"They almost look like..." Celestia began.

"These," Tempus explained as the gemstones started to spin around him, "are the Elements of Time. They represent Time, Past, Present, Future, Life, and Death. I created them when my world needed them, and used them alongside Celestia.. my Celestia and my Luna wielding the Elements of Harmony to defeat a foe who blanketed our Equestria in eternal storm... he was a troubled alicorn," The alicorn said, before three necklaces with hourglasses on them materialized, and he tossed one to Celestia, one to TD, and then used his magic to put one on Sunshine.

"Put those on," He said, his horn lighting up with magic. "It's my time to shine." As he spoke, the Elements of Time stopped spinning, the smaller ones matching up to the points of the star shaped one perfectly. TD and Celestia put the necklaces on and then looked to him with wonder.

"Now what? Fix the day?" TD asked. Sunshine simply gurgled happily at the new ornament she was wearing. Tempus shook his head.

"Nope." He said, before sending a powerful blast of magic into the white star, which immediately spilt into five beams and struck the other gemstones, before a swirling ball of energy formed around them. A sudden magical shockwave shot outwards from them, passing through TD, Celestia, Sunshine, and Tempus.

With a grin, Tempus brought up a holographic screen showing a view of Ponyville. All throughout the town, ponies were frozen in the middle of what they were doing.

"This is happening right now," He said. "This is why I protect the Elements of Time as much as I can; in the hands of evil, they'd destroy the world." He shot a glance at Celestia, before adding, "Or in our case, hooves."

"So in other words, you can freeze time with these things," TD noted, then took the necklace around his neck off. "I'm immune to time-altering effects, thanks to literally killing Father Time once. It wasn't a pleasant experience for me then or now."

"You know you're a bit of a showoff sometimes, right?" Celestia asked him.

"Says the alicorn who shows off all the time to her daughter or to newcomers," TD countered.

"And, no comment," Celestia stated. Tempus frowned.

"Yes, they can freeze time, but they can also alter it. Besides, this spell, if I do it without the Elements, I'd only be able to hold it for a few minutes before passing out," He stated. He caused the hologram to fade out, before he closed his eyes, focusing on where he felt the pain coming from.

"Please grab on to me," He ordered. "Transportation is easier for me at close range."

"No need to tell me twice," TD said to him, as he and Celestia held onto him. Sunshine gave Tempus a cute boop on the muzzle as her way of holding on. Tempus chuckled, before teleporting them into a basement. The alicorn looked around, before he noticed a faint mark on the floor in the corner. Going over to it, the alicorn investigates it, before speaking.

"TD, back when you had the Labyrinth issue, are you absolutely certain you destroyed all of it?" He asked, pulling a familiar silver coin, although now it was a silver bit, from thin air.

"I never destroyed it," TD explained. "I told it to leave my world." He then gave him a weird look. "Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

Tempus blew a stream of air onto the dusty ground, revealing the faint mark of a Greek letter. With a flip of the silver bit, it turned into his axe, and he held it with his magic, before he started pounding on the ground with the hammer part. After a few seconds, he had opened up a gaping hole that went down into darkness.

"Because," Tempus said bluntly, "I think I found where the pony we're after ended up."

"You've got to be kidding me," TD remarked, not even sounding surprised or frustrated. He then looked at Celestia. "I think it was a bad idea to bring Sunshine along."

"You think?" she glared at him while Sunshine, oblivious as babies are, simply laughed again. She then sneezed and a burst of rainbow colored flames engulfed her, transforming her image into a tiny spider. Celestia looked scared at the sight, but tried to compose herself as the tiny spider landed on her and then crawled just behind her crown on her head and fell asleep. TD suppressed a laugh.

"I forgot just how easily you are scared of spiders, Tia," he commented. "And yet, here you have one on-"

"Don't. Tell me," Celestia warned him. "Or else I'll freak and hurt her or something."

Tempus rolled his eyes, before he changed form back to his human one. The Pyrunian wryly looked at TD and Celestia, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Make sure to mark our exit!" He said cheerfully, before he leaped into the hole, slamming his axe into the side as he slid downwards, lighting up his descent with a shower of sparks.

"And there he goes," TD remarked with a grin. "My favorite part."

He stepped back and several clones of himself appeared and jumped down too, each saying something different.

"GERONIMO!"

"ARAPAHO!"

"NAVAJO!"

"Pocahontas!"

"Oh, for the love of me," Celestia groaned, using her horn to create a glowing orb. "You didn't even bother to mark it." She then sighed as she looked down. "I guess, here goes nothing..."

Then she too jumped down.

* * *

Michael landed perfectly, crouching to absorb the impact before he stood up, spreading his arms wide.

"I've reached the bottom!" He yelled triumphantly, before he started looking around, not realizing he was still under the entrance hole.

"Wahoo! I've never felt so alive! Oh darn..."

TD suddenly landed on the ground hard right behind Michael, a sickening crunch sound echoing through the place as a result. TD groaned and then stood up, making several popping noises whenever he moved.

"Cheese and crackers, that hurt!" he shouted. "Why did I do that?!"

Shortly after, Celestia floated down to them, the light above doing her favors. TD could understand why any of the ponies thought of her as a goddess now, but in his eyes she still paled in comparison to Twilight. Celestia must've noticed the stares that were given to her for a moment, because she gave TD a cheeky grin.

"Careful, William. Twilight might get jealous," she teased.

"Knock it off, Tia," TD said to her with a glare, but the gleam in his eyes and the hint of a laugh in his tone told her that he wasn't actually angry with her. Michael raised an eyebrow, before he murmured something in Pyrunian, a blast of blue magic shooting from his hand and entering TD. A few seconds later, there were loud cracking noises as everything broken fixed itself. Michael returned to his form as Tempus, hanging his axe on his side.

"Thanks," TD said. "That usually takes a while to fix up anyways."

He then caused something to appear in his hand in a flash of light. It appeared to be a ball of thread. TD brought it close to him as he caused a another signature to appear in his hands; a sphere that showed the pony they had come to save in it.

"Take us to him," TD said to the thread, then dropped it on the ground. It immediately started to roll away from them, magically unwinding itself as it continued ahead. TD looked to Celestia and Michael, and gave them a wink.

"Daedalus's magic thread," he explained. "I learned how to make my own version of it. Never leave home without it, just in case."

"Well, it will help us from getting lost," Celestia agreed. "This place is making me feel like I'm lost just standing still."

"Daedalus felt that a simple maze wasn't enough to hold the Minotaur, so he made it sentient and evil," Tempus grumbled. "And I already had a hard enough time with corn mazes on Earth." The alicorn glanced at Celestia. "You know Celestia, if you need any help with Sunshine, I'm willing to help out. It would probably give me some actual experience for when I actually have kids. Plus, I can teach you some ancient Pyrunian spells if you'd like," He offered, a kind smile on his face.

Celestia smiled. "That would be nice. Alright, you may help me out with her."

"On that note, hashtag CUTE!" TD exclaimed, pointing up at Celestia's head. The alicorn looked up, and couldn't help but giggle. The baby Changeling had decided to transform into a very small bunny and was curled up in a ball on Celestia's head, fast asleep.

"It seems my little Sunshine got sleepy," the alicorn giggled.

"That's probably for the best right now," TD stated. "Still..."

He quickly pulled out a camera and snapped a picture of the adorable sight. Then he put it away.

"Okay, let's go," he said. Tempus stepped forward before he tilted his head, listening to something. He lit his horn up, adding some more light to their surroundings. As he looked around some more, he closed his eyes, searching for the pony, before he unexpectedly doubled over, groaning.

"Okay," He managed to grunt before he pulled back from his search. "Apparently the Labyrinth doesn't play fair. The Elements of Time don't affect time down here; we have to hurry."

"I hate it when the Labyrinth stabs you like that- Tia, hold still and tuck your wings in."

TD spoke nonchalantly, but Celestia still got the message and did as she was told. As soon as she did, several sharp blades suddenly shot out of the floor and walls in every place save for where she was standing. Even so, it was a tight fit and she felt a bit uneasy because of it.

"Thanks..." she managed as the blades disappeared.

"No problem," TD replied with a smile. Tempus looked around, before he suddenly tensed, pulling his axe from his side with his magic and bringing it up just in time to intercept a massive axe head. Grunting with effort, Tempus muttered something in ancient Pyrunian, causing the metal that made up the axe head that had tried to chop him in half to freeze completely. With a satisfied grunt, the alicorn lowered his weapon, allowing the frozen axe to fall onto him and shatter into shards.

"Let's get a move on; I hate mazes in general," He said shortly. "And evil sentient mazes are the worst kind of maze. Trust me; I had a run in with one while trying to secure one of the materials to create the Elements of Time in a different world."

"Agreed- Tia, duck," TD spoke nonchantly again, ducking down as he did. This time, Celestia didn't hesitate for a second. And good thing too, otherwise the spear that fired from the wall would've impaled her through the side of her head.

"Is there anything this place has that won't kill us?" she asked.

"Not unless you count getting lost," TD remarked, bracing himself against a wall and making his hands glow with power. At first, Celestia wondered what he was doing, until the wall pushed him back a foot before coming to a complete stop. TD then caused a kind of brace to appear against the wall to hold it in place, then let go.

"That one's sneaky," he admitted. Tempus suddenly growled as he lost his patience.

"I've had enough of this stupid maze!" He grumbled, before he began to chant in Pyrunian, each word echoing strangely through the maze as his voice grew louder and louder, causing a groaning noise to come down the tunnel like the maze wasn't happy about what he was saying.

"What's happening?" Celestia demanded.

"The maze is trying to resist his spell," TD explained. "But it needs a little more umph!"

He started chanting too in a mixture of the Black Speech and Dragon, causing the maze to groan louder. Tempus heard TD chanting as well, and he began to change the nature of his spell, weaving it into the spell that TD was casting, reinforcing it as he pushed his power to the limits, straining as the maze obviously tried to retaliate at him, a spear shooting out of the darkness at the alicorn before it was deflected by an invisible shield that flickered around Tempus, something that he had cast mentally. Eventually, the maze made one final groan and then everything fell silent around them. TD stopped chanting just about then and smirked.

"The traps are temporarily deactivated," he explained. "I guess you could say we put The Labyrinth to sleep to buy us some time. But it won't last forever, so we need to step on it." He glanced down at the ground and noticed the thread they had been following. "And I think I know where to."

Tempus sighed, stopping his own chant as he drew in a breath, his breathing shaky.

"That took more out of me then I thought it would." He admitted. "I guess there truly is a limit to the power I have at my disposal outside my own world. This would have been easy there, but I guess since I'm a..."

He fell silent, looking at TD and Celestia with a wary look, the words he had been speaking falling silent on his tongue.

"Guardian?" the two of them finished. He blinked, before rolling his eyes.

"Typical." He muttered. "I should have guessed both of you knew already. I take it you two are both guardians as well?"

As he spoke, he remembered when TD had banished The Shadow, and wondered if the half light, half dark form had been his guardian form.

"Guilty as charged," Celestia shrugged. TD gave Tempus a big grin.

"You're not gonna believe this buddy with my history... but I'm a Guardian of Existence," he answered. Tempus stumbled, stunned.

"You... you are?!" He asked, not believing his luck. "Oh thank God! I've been hoping to run into a Guardian of Existence for centuries now!" He exclaimed, hopping up and down excitedly before composing himself and clearing his throat, embarrassed.

"Please forget you saw that," He asked politely.

TD giggled. "Buddy, I'm just about the most unorthodox of them all! You're fine!"

"And I've seen enough antics to let it slide too," Celestia added.

"So, why have you been hoping to find one of my order?" TD asked as they continued to walk through The Labyrinth.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is, having unlimited power in my Pyrunian form, yet as soon as I change into Tempus, I'm limited to my alicorn magic, the Pyrunian chants I know, and the element magic imbued in my axe. I've been trying to apply to be a Guardian of Existence for centuries now, yet there's always been one thing preventing it from happening," Tempus said, taking a breath only after finishing what he was saying.

"You need to be promoted by one," TD finished. He chuckled a bit as he looked to Tempus. "By the way, it's NOT unlimited power for my order. It just seems that way because... well, it's unfathomable to even the minds of those possessing the power."

"You know what I mean." Tempus grumbled. "So would you be able to do it? Because I've been waiting forever to get promoted."

"Let's fix this first, then we'll talk business," TD stated, but judging by the tone in his voice and the smile in his eyes and on his face, Tempus had a good feeling what his answer already was. Tempus grinned, before he suddenly had an idea.

"Y'all grab on. I have an idea that may speed things up," He said, as with a flash the Elements of Time appeared in front of him, and he pulled the one that glowed a light blue from the formation, putting the others on a saddlebag that appeared as he fit the gemstone into an indentation on his crown that was the perfect size for the stone to fit. As soon as it was settled in, Tempus gasped, his limbs tensing as power flowed through him, before he turned to TD and Celestia, his green eyes tinged with light blue now.

"What are you waiting for? Grab on! Just prepare to hurl once I'm done," He called as he lit up his horn, the tip glowing light blue instead of his usual dark blue magic, which covered the rest of his horn.

"You heard him," TD said to Celestia as he grabbed on too. Celestia sighed and shook her head with amusement as she too grabbed on. Tempus powered his horn to full power, and suddenly their surroundings started shooting by at a lightning fast speed, until they appeared in the cave where the pony they were after was on. Tempus let go of his magic, before teleporting away from the two.

"Five, Four, Three, Two, one," The alicorn said, counting down the time it would take for their stomachs to catch up to the fact they'd just traveled at a high speed for a long distance without actually moving at all. Celestia immeaditely held her stomach while TD just sighed and in a flash of light caused a paper bag to appear and handed it over to the alicorn. She nodded in thanks before vomiting into the bag for a good minute or two. Surprisngly, the bag never overflowed despite the amount that went in. Sunshine hadn't noticed anything, still fast asleep. However, the reason she was unaffected soon became clear when an almost invisible aura shimmered around her form.

"Child protection for the win," TD cheered. "And the only reason I'm not vomiting? Well... let's just say this isn't the first time I've traveled at that speed." He shook his head. "Nevertheless, my brain is still a bit wonky because of that."

Tempus rolled his eyes.

"Well, now at least you can say you've traveled through time Celestia," He said as he removed the stone from his crown and held it in front of him with his magic. "This here is the Element of Future. Used correctly, you can travel ahead to any point in time you want, however if you pass that point, you have to use the Element of Past to go back to it."

Tempus walked towards the Pony, examining him as he put the Element of Future in his saddlebag and pulled out a new element, this one glowing a soft silver. He fitted it into his crown, now flinching as its power flowed through his body.

"And what's that?" TD asked. "The Element of Insta-cure?" He laughed a bit, then asked, "But seriously, what does it do?"

"The Element of Life is nothing to laugh about TD," Tempus said as he shot a beam of silver energy into the pony's body. "Heals any injury and makes it like it never happened, and keeps that pony without any malady for a long time."

"Cool," TD remarked.

 _Scratch one item off the list,_ he thought to himself. After a few minutes of blasting the pony with the beam of energy, Tempus cut it off, stepping backwards as he removed the Element of Life from his crown and tucked it into his saddlebag.

"There. He should be healed completely in a few seconds," He said, before he glanced at TD and Celestia. "But I'm guessing since you two now want to know the powers that the other four Elements of Time carry, don't you?"

"Indeed," TD agreed. "It'll make my job easier, as well as let us know what they are capable of."

Tempus levitated the remaining four gemstones out of his saddlebag. He pointed at the one that glowed only black.

"The Element of Death," He said solemnly. "Can instantly kill anything it's power touches, even immortals." He pointed to one that was a stone gray color. "The Element of Past. It allows the wielder to go backwards on time. The Element of Present," He continued, pointing to one that was as brown as dirt. "It allows one to alter what is happening in the present time." And finally, he pointed to the white five pointed star one. "The Element of Time," He said reverently. "It focuses the powers of the other five, allowing the wielder complete control of time. Alone it can be used to change the timeline of ones life to one of thousands of different timelines."

He sighed, putting them back in his saddlebag. "I have guarded them for centuries, protecting them from evil. Now you see why they could end the world."

"Hmm... That is a great responsibility you've taken upon yourself," Celestia noted.

"On the bright side, I may be getting a rough idea of what kind of Guardian to make him," TD stated.

Tempus grinned at TD, before looking at Celestia.

"I took on the responsibility at my own decision," He said firmly. "In my world, three alicorns co-rule Equestria; Celestia, Luna, and me. After we defeated Discord, them wielding the Elements of Harmony and I using my ability to see the future, I decided to create the Elements of Time to work alongside the Elements of Harmony. They were put to the test when we defeated an alicorn named Thunderstrike who wanted control of the weather. When we refused, he blanketed our land in never ending storm. We used the Elements, them the Elements of Harmony and I the Elements of Time, and we defeated him, sentencing him to Tartarus." He sighed, recalling the fight. "In my world, Celestia and Luna are like my sisters, and I their brother. I'll do anything to protect them, even if it costs me everything. The same as I will protect the Elements of Time with my last breath."

TD nodded, then looked to the pony who was recovering nearby.

"Might at well take advantage of this while there's still time," he muttered, then snapped his fingers. The pony disappeared in a flash of light and he chuckled. "Now, who's up for getting out of this Tartarus-forsaken place?"

Celestia immediately raised her hoof. Tempus laughed, raising his hoof as well.

"I'm guessing nopony wants me to use the Element of Future again?" He asked with a sly smile.

"Nope. This time we use my method," TD stated, then snapped his fingers again. In a flash, they were back in the throne room. Sunshine was still fast asleep, which made Celestia giggle a bit.

"It seems that when my Sunshine sleeps, she really sleeps," she joked. Tempus laughed heartily, his face lit up with a wide smile.

"In my world, I haven't seen my sisters in forever. I still watch over time, life and death, but after my Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, my Celestia exciled me. She blamed me for Nightmare Moons rise, staring that I could have prevented it."

He sniffed and wiped a tear from his eye, looking away. "I'm still trying to decide whether or not to go back to them, and wondering if they even still remember me..." He said softly, his voice cracking with emotion. TD gave him a supportive smile and patted his shoulder.

"Cheer up buddy," he said. "If I know anything about the Equestrian timeline, it's that your timeline will be alright in the end. Tell you what, I could probably stop by there with you afterwards if you'd like. But for now, let's get to the business at hand." He looked to Tempus. "I'm gonna ask you to remain in your Guardian form for this."

He blinked, confused.

"So... does that mean this form or maybe the Pyrunian one? Cause technically I'm the guardian of my Equestria as Prince Tempus..." Tempus asked, shifting one hoof awkwardly.

"Whichever allows you to control the Elements of Time," TD answered. Tempus nodded, standing tall.

"Then that is this form," He replied. "Tempus controls the Elements of Time." He blinked. "Why does Fragmented Soul always refer to himself in the third person? It feels plain wrong."

"It's FRAGMENT Soul, and I blame the Mirror Pool for that when he was reborn from it," TD stated. "Now then, will you please kneel?"

Tempus nodded, kneeling. The alicorn took some deep breaths to keep his heart from racing, not wanting to embarrass himself. TD made a motion with his hands and a sword of red flames appeared in his right hand. He took a deep breath, then he moved the sword just above his left shoulder, then alternated to the other shoulder, and finally above his head. While he did this, he spoke in a voice of authority.

"By the voice of the council, by the will or reality, I dub you Tempus as Guardian of Time, both in your world and throughout all Existence." He made the sword disappear and gestured to him. "Rise, Guardian of Existence."

Tempus took a shaky breath, before standing, a grin on his face.

"Th... thanks TD." He said. "I never thought that my dream of getting promoted would ever come true."

"Oh no need," TD said with a smile. "I'm always happy to help out a friend. The only thing I ask of you is that you don't repeat the mistakes of those before you, myself included."

Tempus rolled his eyes, before grunting.

"You mean like messing with one worlds timeline so much you free a beast that will destroy your home world?" He asked sarcastically. "Yeah, pretty sure I won't make that mistake, TD."

"On that note, do you know why I did that?" TD asked. "Because I didn't want my friends there to forget me or the others that had helped them before. Plus, if I didn't do that, one of my niece's boyfriends wouldn't exist anymore."

Tempus gave him a deadpan look.

"You really think I didn't already know that?" He asked. "Alicorn Prince of Time here; I did know that. I also knew the moment you did it all because I suddenly got a massive headache and about one million different possibilities of a future where this world is destroyed."

"Well, what else could I do? I didn't want Serena to be heartbroken to hear that her boyfriend ceased existing," TD pointed out with some sadness. "And when I did that, I was forced to do the others too just to balance it out and keep a major rip in time and space from occurring."

Tempus blinked.

"I get it. Just do me a favor; next time you want to mess with time, make sure I'm there so no major screw ups occur, okay? Cause I've traveled through time a lot." He said, his tone teasing. "Also, I'm not mad at you TD, just make sure you don't cause anything else like that, okay?"

"Consider myself warned," the human chuckled.

"I believe there's only one more issue to be resolved," Celestia noted. "And that's introducing Equestria to our most recent addition." She then looked out the window and chuckled. "But that can wait for tomorrow. Right now, I need to lower the sun."

As if this was a trigger of some kind, Sunshine woke up just around then and made a cute little yawn. Seeing this, Celestia lifted her from off her head and beside her like a mother cradling her child.

"Wanna see Momma lower the sun, Sunshine?" she asked the baby with a playful tone. The response was a happy cry of joy. Tempus smiled.

"Mind if I'm with you when you lower the sun Celestia? I used to always be with my sisters when they did there job... it would mean a lot to me." The alicorn requested, a hopeful gleam coming to his eyes.

Celestia nodded. "You may."

They all walked out onto the balcony that was found in her palace and looked out at where the sun was located. Celestia's horn glowed and the sun slowly set upon the land of Equestria. Not long after, as if it had a mind of its own, the moon rose into the sky to take it's place, along with the many stars that appeared to accompany it. Sunshine obviously enjoyed this display, because she giggled happily and even stretched out her hooves towards the sun and moon respectively when they were moved. Tempus sniffed, tears in his eyes.

"I'd almost forgotten what it looked like, being present when you did this..." He said softly. "Thank you... thank you."

Celestia gave him a smile. "You're welcome."

"And in case you're wondering, Luna's off in her own kingdom right now," TD stated. "She can still raise the moon and perform her duties from there, so no problems. Tempus nodded.

"You must be have been lonely after Luna left," He said softly, glancing at Celestia.

"A little," she admitted. "But the Thunder Empire needed a ruler, and I wasn't going to keep her separated from her husband. That'd only make things worst."

"Hey, remember I showed up several times at your place to help out," TD remarked.

"Yes, but you could only show up so many times," Celestia pointed out to him. "And that was usually at the end of the day."

Tempus looked up at the moon, sighing.

"I can relate to being lonely," He remarked. "I was forced to watch as my sisters drifted apart. I hid in the castle and watched as my beloved Luna turned into Nightmare Moon and fought Celestia... I had to watch Celestia banish her to the moon... and as if my heart wasn't already broken enough, fate decided that I were to be hurt even more, in the form of an exile that was forced onto me by Celestia. She had the Elements of Harmony, and she was so distraught about Luna that when she told me to surrender the Elements of Time to her before I left, I refused, taking them with me." He blinked, glancing at Celestia next to him. "Think about it," He said. "If you had had the ability to alter time after you defeated Nightmare Moon, what would you have done? And be honest."

Celestia lowered her head. "I'd go back and fix the mistakes I made that caused her to turn in the first place." She sighed. "I was blind back then, too caught up in my own pride that I failed to see where I was wrong, and it tore us apart." She managed a small smile. "But I will say that the experience taught me a valuable lesson, one that I intend to follow for as long as I live."

Tempus nodded, smiling reassuringly at her.

"I thought you'd say that. And I was certain my Celestia would have done the same, but at the time I was fearful of what she would have do to me in meddling with time. As much as I put out that I only monitor time, if anything my creation of the Elements of Time says otherwise..." He trailed off, thinking. "I don't know how to phrase this the best, but I am as much a part of time as time is as much a part of me. Any ripples to a timeline affect me... and the bigger the ripple, the more it affects me... and causes me pain... which is why it felt like I had a knife in my back for three nights after what you did TD." Tempus glanced at his friend. "In the public here I would disguise myself, but every night in my home I'd change from Michael into Tempus... as much as Luna has to guard the Dream Realm every night, I spend most of my time keeping an eye on the multiple timelines that are under my care... which is why I'm so prone to headaches," He added ruefully.

"That... makes sense," TD stated.

"So, what now?" Celestia asked Tempus. "Do you go back to your Equestria and reestablish your bond with them? Or do you stay here and think back about those times? The choice is yours alone to make."

Tempus sighed, before he glanced at TD, then Celestia.

"I'm afraid that the time is not yet right in my world to reestablish my bond with them yet... I shall stay here, and fulfill my duty of keeping time safe," He said, before shooting a glance at TD again.

"And I'll also try and not annoy the Grim Reapers too much, like I'm sure I did when I saved the life of that pony today," He added. "Me and the Reapers... I guess you could say we have a past together..."

As he trailed off, he unconsciously reached up and rubbed a scar that TD nor Celestia had noticed before. It ran from halfway up his neck all the way down his shoulder and almost halfway along his back.

"Ouch," TD remarked. "That must hurt." He then noticed something about the scar and laughed. "Looks like Greg gave you the worst of it. I didn't realize he could swing his scythe so well due to his size!"

"Don't let size fool you TD." Tempus muttered. "I went to various different worlds getting materials for the Elements of Time... I actually had to bargain with Khonsu, the Egyptian moon god, for some moonlight to add the glow to the Element of Life." He shuddered. "I've never hated board games as much as I did then... but I think I'm getting off topic, aren't I?" He asked sheepishly.

"A little, but I do the same so no judgement here," TD said with a nod. Tempus rolled his eyes.

"Say, TD... I know I asked to stay with you and Twilight in the castle of Friendship, but you wouldn't be to offended if I were to stay here instead, if Celestia gives me permission? I mean, I'd come and visit you and my friends in Ponyville whenever I could," He requested, looking at TD, then at Celestia to see what she'd say.

Celestia chuckled. "I don't see why not. The castle has plenty of rooms to spare, and it's be nice to have someone to talk to."

"Knock yourself out," TD stated. "I really don't care what you pick."

Tempus smiled, before he looked at Celestia.

"I think I'll stay here," He stated, as he glanced away and looked back up at the sky. "Also, TD, if Twilight's interested in learning some more new magic, tell her that I'm willing to teach her some Pyrunian magic." He took a deep breath, before frowning.

"One second," He said, as he sat down and closed his eyes, his horn lighting up with magic. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes, extinguishing his magic.

"Sorry," He appologized. "I detected something was about to happen in my world that would have led down a bad timeline, so I judged the timestream slightly so that events would proceed down a good path."

He spoke as if that was the simplest thing he had to do.

"Show off," TD joked.

"Says the human who can literally do the same thing just by blinking," Celestia scolded just as playfully. They were interrupted by Sunshine yawning yet again and Celestia looked to her with a gentle motherly gaze.

"Looks like it's time for us to head to bed," she said. "Sunshine is tired, and so is Momma."

TD couldn't help but giggle. "I like this side of her."

"I like this side of her too," Tempus agreed, smiling kindly at Celestia and Sunshine. He glanced at TD, opening his mouth before closing it. He wanted to ask him something, and he gathered up his courage.

"TD, could you... help me with something?" He asked. "I think I'm going to reestablish my bond with my sisters early, rather then when every future I can see tells me to." He glanced at Celestia. "Although after I do, I'm coming back to this world... I can still fulfill my royal duties in my world from here; besides... nopony even knows or remembers that I even exist besides the current alicorns, minus my world's Twilight," He added.

TD smiled. "Absolutely." Then he turned to Celestia, who was already leaving the room. "Goodnight Tia! Goodnight Sunshine!"

Neither answered him, but simply continued onward to their bedroom. Tempus closed his eyes, focusing, before he levitated the Elements of Time from his saddlebags. As soon as they were all out, they started spinning around him.

"Time connects realms, and governs the multiverse..." He said in a low voice. The Elements stopped spinning and lined up to the Element of Time. "A portal from one, to another."

As he spoke, he used his magic and the Elements, and slowly, a white portal opened up, an image of the inside of the throne room of the castle in Canterlot appearing.

"Follow me," Tempus said, before stepping through.

"Me so sorry!" TD shouted as he rag-doll flopped into the room.

* * *

Tempus sighed as he put the Elements back into his bag, the portal closing as he looked around.

"Well, I think I got us to the castle, but to the wrong part of it," He said ruefully as he found that they were in the hallway with all the stained glass mirrors. He walked up to one that wasn't in the castle in Canterlot from TD's world; it was a portrait of three alicorns, one white, one dark blue, and one brown. Tempus sighed as he glanced at another one, which showed the same three alicorns, the white and blue ones surrounded by what TD guessed were the Elements of Harmony, and the brown one by the Elements of Time, while it showed them using the power to cage a fourth alicorn, one who was pure black with a gray mane.

Tempus looked at that one for a long time, sniffing as a tear ran down his face.

"So this is where you get involved, isn't it?" TD noted. "Sounds like that was a rough time for you."

"I got involved a long time before that." Tempus murmured, before he turned and started walking away.  
"Come on, Let's get to the throne room." The alicorn said, closing his eyes as he walked. "Maybe we'll get luck and run int-oof!" That last part was because he had collided with another pony walking around the corner of the hallway. As he stumbled backwards, he heard a familiar voice say, "Tempus?"

The alicorn whipped his head up to see who he had run into, and his eyes widened as he found Luna standing in front of him, staring at him like he was a ghost.

"Found someone!" TD called, way too late by now. He then looked to Luna, who barely paid attention to him. "And of all to run into, it's her."

Tempus stared at Luna for a long time, until finally the Princess of The Night spoke.

"I.. I thought you were gone for good Tempus," The female Alicorn said, her voice full of emotion.

"I... I would never leave you and Celestia for good," Tempus replied, choking on his own voice.

"Gosh [bleep]ing [bleep] it!" TD cried, his words literally censored by loud beeps as he started tearing up. "It's too emotional, I can't not!"

Tempus shot a look at TD, before he stepped aside.

"Luna, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, TD." The alicorn said, smiling. "TD, this is... well, you already know who this is, but for the sake of it... this is my sister, Luna."

Luna finally noticed TD and looked him up and down, before saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you, TD. I take it my brother has been well to you? He can sometimes be an... acquired taste."

Tempus but his lip, trying not to laugh, before he burst into laughter.

"Sister, you have no idea what you're talking about!" He cried, shaking due to how hard he was laughing. "Wait until you get to know TD better! It'll finally make you look at me like I'm normal!"

Luna shot Tempus a look that said, "I highly doubt that, Tempus."

"Why do you doubt him?" TD asked out of the blue, causing Luna to look up at him in surprise. "I'm probably the weirdest human out there! And that's saying something... Ooo, treasure!"

He suddenly walked over to a wall where a golden goblet had appeared out of nowhere and snatched it up.

"Mine," he said with a playful tone. Tempus finally got a hang of himself, putting a wing over Luna's back.

"There's so much crazy about TD, it would take to much time to explain," He said, and Luna rolled her eyes.

"Dear brother, how is it you always make the oddest friends?" She asked, and Tempus shrugged.

"No clue. Celestia in the throne room?" He asked, and his sister nodded. "Could you take us there... I'd like to see her..." He said softly, and Luna nodded again, a smile crossing her face.

"Follow me," She ordered as she led the two through the castle. She came to the throne room and walked in, the doors already open. Tempus cast a sour glance at the doors as he walked through them.

"It used to be that guards always stood outside," He muttered to himself, before he stopped beside Luna. Looking towards the throne, he saw Celestia sitting on it, her eyes focused on a scroll she was reading. She was so focused in fact that she hadn't even noticed them come in. TD cleared his throat a few times, and when Celestia still didn't respond he pulled out a grenade launcher and fired it at his feet with a loud, "Me so sorry! Eh..." This caused him to rag-doll onto the ground again, as well as catch Celestia's attention. Celestia stared at TD with a look of confusion on her face, before she noticed Tempus. As she stood and started down the throne, hoof steps could be heard behind them, and a white pegasus in armor that looked like royal guard armor, yet made out of the material the Crystal guards used, barreled into the room, skidding to a stop as he leveled his spear at TD, his bright blue eyes narrowed as he watched the human from under his helmet.

Tempus grunted. "Good going TD." He muttered. "Cause an explosion to get Celestia's attention and also get the attention of a member of the Royal Guard."

"Well, would you suggest an air-horn?" TD asked as he stood to his feet. Then to the guard, "False alarm, friend. Go about your business."

"My business," the pegasus began. "Is making sure my marefriend is safe. So don't tell me what to do, you, uh... whatever you are!"

Tempus facehoofed. Celestia spoke loudly from her throne.

"It's alright Sunrise. They're fine," She said as she continued walking down the throne towards them. The guard just grunted, walking around them until he was standing between them and Celestia. The pegasus removes his helmet to reveal the face of a pony very familiar to TD; the face of Sunrise Shield.

"Sunrise, right?" TD asked him. "It's alright man, I intend no harm to you or your subjects. Despite what magical signals you may be getting off me."

Sunrise just snorted, his spear still aimed at TD, although he lowered it as soon as Celestia came up beside him and put a wing over his back.

"Stand down Sun," She ordered softly, and the pegasus nodded, stepping back. Celestia came up to Tempus and looked him over.

"Celestia," Tempus said, his voice cold as the memories of their last face-to-face meeting went through his head.

"Tempus," Celestia replied, her face impassive.

"If you guys argue, I'm gonna puke," TD stated. Tempus shot a glare at TD, his eyes carrying an unspoken warning.

"The last time I saw you, I told you to leave Equestria forever." Celestia said, her voice steely.

Tempus met her gaze unflinchingly.

"And I told you I would, yet one day I'd come back," He countered. "I also told you I'd always do my royal duty, even during my exile."

The two alicorns stared at each other for a good number of minutes, the air between them tense with emotion. Unexpectedly, Celestia burst into tears and hugged Tempus, shocking him speechless.

"I'm so sorry Tempus!" The alicorn cried, burying her face in his shoulder. "Please, forgive me if you can after so long!"

Tempus finally recovered, and he smiled warmly, hugging Celestia back.

"Always sister," He said. "Always. Nothing will ever keep us apart; surely you've realized that after all the trials the three of us have been through?"

Celestia nodded, still hugging Tempus tightly. The brown alicorn started squirming.

"TD... a little help?" He pleaded, unable to get himself out of Celestia's grip.

TD giggled. "One rule I've learned about Equestrian mares Tempus: you don't get out of the embrace unless they allow you to."

Tempus grumbled, before in a split second he was standing by the wall of the throne room, leaning against the wall as he caught his breath, magic visibly fading from around his horn as he wiped some sweat off his face.

"When in doubt, extreme measures," He panted. This only made TD laugh harder.

"Dude, it's just a hug!" he laughed. "The only time you should ever be worried about that is when it's Pinkie Pie hugging you!"

Tempus snorted, and Sunrise was just staring at the brown alicorn in shock. He pointed at where Tempus had been, before pointing at Tempus.

"But... you were.. and now you're... how... what!?" The pegasus yelled, earning laughs from Celestia, Luna, and Tempus, who all three knew exactly what Tempus had done. As the alicorn prince was resting, he felt a warm ripple in the timeline, and as he scanned his mind he grinned as he realized what it was.

"Something important happening Tempus?" Celestia asked, and the brown alicorn chuckled.

"Just a young couple finding love and getting engaged," He said, looking pointedly at TD like there was some way they were involved. Tempus snorted, and Sunrise was just staring at the brown alicorn in shock. He pointed at where Tempus had been, before pointing at Tempus.

"What?" TD asked. "I'm a bit confused right now..."

"Really TD? Remember a while back, when we helped that pegasus?" Tempus asked, prompting his friend.

"Well, no one's been too specific with me," TD argued, then he realized something. "Wait... does that mean technically just now we were in two places at once?"

Tempus frowned as he thought about it.

"No. I don't think it does," He answered. "Not certain though."

Celestia looked back and forth between Tempus and TD, a confused look on her face. Luna had slyly slipped out of the throne room with nobody noticing, and Sunrise had retreated to beside the throne.

"Anypony care to explain to me what you two are talking about!" The alicorn exclaimed, and Tempus looked at TD.

"Your que," He said with a grin.

"Well... let's just say your student may or may not have gotten hooked up with someone who was in love with her," TD remarked. "Not only that, but we had traveled here before to do that, and I was just wondering if that meant we were in two places at once, as in our past selves were in this world at the same time we were standing in the room with you." He gave her a shrug. "Complicated, I know. Don't try to register it all at once."

Celestia blinked, before shrugging.

"With a brother like Tempus, I've gotten used to a lot of things that are complicated," She said, and Tempus grinned.

"Why live a simple life when you can live a complicated one?" The alicorn asked, chuckling.

"Fair enough," TD remarked. "Anything else you need me for, Tempus?" He smirked. "Or do you still have some catching up to do?"

Tempus shook his head, before he closed his eyes. His horn lit up with magic, and suddenly the ground started bubbling in three spots on the floor by his feet. As the seconds passed, the bubbles finally popped, revealing three necklaces with crystal charms; one was a sun, one was a moon, and the third was a clock. Tempus levitated the moon one out of the room, hoping it would find Luna, before he gave the sun one to Celestia, putting the clock on his own neck.

"These will connect the three of us," He explained. "I'll always know what you two are feeling. If you ever need help, I'll come as fast as I can. But right now, TD's world needs me."

Celestia nodded, a sad smile on her face. "Come back as soon as you can Tempus. We'll be waiting," She said. Tempus nodded, before hugging her one last time. He turned and found Luna behind him, having snuck back in. He hugged her as well, before turning to TD.

"Let's go TD," He said, wiping away a tear. "I'm done here. I can do my royal duties from your world, so it won't be like I'm letting down my sisters. So let's go back."

"Suit yourself, mate," TD nodded, then snapped his fingers and in a flash of light they were sitting on a mountain in TD's Equestria. That detail was obvious because the mountain they had appeared on overlooked Ponyville and just on its outskirts a large Changeling hive could be seen.

"Wow, of all places... this is where we'd end up," TD chuckled. Tempus looked at TD.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"Because this is where it all started," TD explained. "This spot is where Twilight and I shared our first kiss... That same day, my dark side tried to take over Equestria again."

"That day will forever be a loss for me," a darker voice spoke from TD's body. "Looking back on it... I realize how much it hurt her."

Tempus nodded, looking back down at Ponyville.

"You know, after you first destroyed my home world I was consumed with a single thought; Find you, and defeat you as revenge for destroying Pyrus." He raised his head, shame etched on his face. "It was that reason that led me to become a bounty hunter, and that led me to finding my employers who wanted me to take you. I had you so close dozens of times, yet you always slipped away." He sighed. "You must remember all the times I sometimes fought you when you were destroying worlds. I never had a chance to fight you after I lost you the last time I found you, until I was summoned into the arena. There I realized you'd changed, and I decided to leave you alone and stay away from my employers, cutting off contact with them."

He shook his head ruefully. "Hopefully they never find me. I could do without meeting them again forever."

"Well, if they do find you..." TD laid his hand on the alicorn's shoulder comfortingly. "...you can count me in as one of your allies." He then growled. "I think I more commonly saw one of your employers. Very angry man. I slip away for only a second, and he's already screaming bloody murder at his troops." His expression saddened. "It was his men that killed one of my other wives... Agápi. She was a lamia who had been born a slave in her world... and they killed her."

Tempus snorted.

"Yep, that sounds like one of them. I'd give a report every night about how I had just about had you, and I'd have to deal with him screaming at me for failing... again," He said sourly. "At least you finally found someone you can love without her dying... I have yet to even meet my special somepony. I know who she is though, thanks to my future sight, and I do everything I can to make sure she stays alive, albeit by staying out of sight."

He blinked, before sighing. "Sorry if I sound like I'm complaining. I'm not, believe me."

"No offense taken or otherwise," TD said. "By all means, pour out all you need to say. If you want, I won't tell anyone."

Tempus smiled. "Thanks TD. I think I should get back to Canterlot... thanks for everything you've done for me TD," The alicorn stood, stretching his wings.

"Of course," the human nodded. "That's what friends do."

Tempus smiled, before he took off. The alicorn flew through the air, relaxing as he felt the tension draining out of him. The alicorn let his guard drop, as he started scanning timelines to see if there was anything drastic he had to nudge to prevent from happening.

"Happy trails, Michael," TD thought to himself aloud. Tempus turned as he flew, waving at TD before he continued on towards Canterlot. The alicorn smiled to himself; he was glad that he was TD's friend.

* * *

 **Welp! That comes to show how bad things can get if you're stupid.**

 **Great job on your promotion Michael! I'll cya in the next one! Bubye!**


	44. Helping Michael Again!

**And our new Guardian of Existence has run into some opposition, it would seem. As well as a problem concerning himself.**

 **Let's see where this goes. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Tempus knew immediately that trouble was not too far off when he saw the group of humans standing in front of his house in futuristic armor as if waiting for him. Though, to be fair, it could have also been the evil intentions he sensed off them, the glares that locked onto him when he came into sight, or even the fact that most of them had a weapon of some kind out ready for battle. Tempus frowned as he landed, summoning his axe with his magic.

"Here's how it works: either you step aside and let me get my stuff so I can go to Canterlot, or I go through you to get my stuff and leave none of you alive," He warned, his voice icy cold.

To emphasize his point, he channeled his Pyrunian ice elemental magic, causing the blade of his axe to freeze over with a layer of frost. None of the men moved at this display, but simply kept their gaze locked on him. One of them, possibly the leader due to his more elaborate armor, stepped forward with a smug grin. His skin was tan and his hair black, with green eyes that seemed to burn with a poisonous hate. He chuckled.

"Attacking your employers, Michael?" he taunted. "I had a feeling there was a reason you weren't calling back. Now, I can see why."

Tempus frowned, before he stepped forwards again, his voice turning threatening as he pulled the Element of Death from his saddlebags, fitting it into his crown and growling as he felt its power flowing through him. His green eyes became streaked with black.

"If you wish to know the reason, here it is," the alicorn replied, before he threw his axe through the air, the blade heading straight towards the leader. The leader simply smirked and pressed a button on the arm of his armor, causing his image to look fuzzy. As a result, the axe flew through him harmlessly and fell to the ground.

"Vibrating molecules is a handy trick, don't you think?" he mocked, then pulled out what TD would probably call an axe-like version of a lightsaber (don't sue me, please). The blade was a black color and when the leader swung it, a humming sound was heard.

"Now then, must we continue this any further?" he asked.

Tempus growled, his horn lighting up with dark blue magic while the tip glowed pure black. "Death visit all of you!" He screamed, as he blasted a beam of black energy at them. Some of the men were hit by the beam and their life ended immeaditely. However, the leader and the others who managed to react fast enough merely stepped to the side before drawing weapons of their own, both melee and ranged.

"It's treachery then," the leader scoffed before charging with his men at the alicorn, the ones in the back aiming their weapons in order to get a good shot when it was open. Tempus screamed, ripping the Element of Death from his crown as he summoned the other Elements of Time, all of which started spinning around him. At the same time, as if it had a mind of its own, his axe flew off the ground and started attacking the men in the back.

Tempus charged to meet the leader, his green eyes burning with rage as he called upon his magic, the Elements still spinning around him. Tempus charged to meet the leader, his green eyes burning with rage as he called upon his magic, the Elements still spinning around him. The leader smirked and allowed his weapon to clash with Tempus's horn, surprisingly not cutting it off in the process.

"You dare attack a Bounty Hunter of Time?" he sneered. "This'll be interesting..."

A set of electric coils came out of his armor's arm and surged towards Tempus, attempting to electrify him. Tempus grinned, before he seemed to flicker, and in a second he was far away from the leader.

"Sorry pal." Tempus said in a mocking voice. "But I'm a Guardian of Existence. And time is my game."

As he spoke, his horn began to glow, and the elements responded, stopping their rotation and assembling in their formation, before they lit up and sent a blast of energy into the sky, as well as causing a shockwave of energy to shoot outwards from his location.

As the elements stopped glowing, Tempus chanted something in Pyrunian, causing a freezing shockwave to radiate outwards from his location, and anything it touched froze solid, except his house, which deflected the ice.

His axe reappeared by his side then, and the Elements of Time disappeared. He shifted into his Pyrunian form and grabbed the handle of his axe, spinning it by his side before leaping at the leader, swinging his axe in a sweeping blow at his side as a dragon-like roar came out of his mouth, shaking the very earth. The leader may have been surprised, but he managed to deflect Tempus's blow and he growled.

"Guardians of Existence mean nothing to me, or the one who hired us!" he snarled. "Soon, he will arrive in this world, and none of you will be safe. He almost beat the Terror of Dimensions before, requiring two others to help him. Who's to say that you won't suffer the same fate?" He snickered. "You see every possible outcome. How many of those are ones in which you win?"

Michael hissed, his eyes reptilian.

"Be that as it may, I am not alone," He growled, before he began a rain of attacks on the leader, landing one blow before fluidly moving into another.

 _Anytime you could get here TD would be appreciated,_ He thought as he continued fighting, even though he could see several outcomes where at this rate he'd fail and fall. The Leader managed to parry the attacks and even tried retaliating with his own from time to time. He seemed to be enjoying himself. As they fought, Tempus noticed that many of the bounty hunters were rising to their feet and aiming their weapons at him. The leader managed to get himself and Tempus separated, then laughed.

"Say goodbye!" he cackled as the men started to pull their triggers. However, before they could, several blasts of magic struck them, one being very large in particular. The leader's smug grin faded as he turned to see who had done that. When he saw who it was, his expression temporarily turned to fear.

"Goodbye," TD remarked in a Will Turner voice while also sporting his form, then morphed back to his normal form, hands outstretched towards the leader. Michael crouched, changing back into Tempus as he held his axe in his magic, his horn blazing with magical energy as the Element of Death reattached itself to his crown.

"TD?!" the leader screeched with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Newsflash: I live here now," TD remarked, glaring heavily at the Bounty Hunter. "And you are trespassing. Leave at once, or die."

The leader hesitated for a moment, then roared with rage as he rushed at the chaotic entity in hopes of landing even a single blow. It never reached TD, who simply lifted his hand and caused the man to be frozen in place by an invisible force.

"I warned you..." TD muttered. Tempus walked up to the leader, the tip of his horn glowing black as he rested it an inch above the leaders throat.

"Say the word TD, and I'll end his life." The alicorn growled, his eyes practically glowing with fury.

"Anytime, friend," TD stated. The leader looked to them fearfully, then unexpectedly a look of calm crossed his face.

"Do it. My death is meaningless," he said. "When HE comes, you'll all be sorry you ever crossed his path. He will burn this world and bring about a new era from its ashes, and there is nothing you can-"

He was cut off by TD suddenly closing the distance between them and choking him.

"Listen punk!" he snarled. "I don't know who you think you are, but I do know this: you're one of those men who hunted me across worlds and killed my first wife. Remember her? The lamia I was with?!"

Tempus snarled, before he stabbed his horn into the mans throat, unleashing the power of the Element into his very body. The man gasped, but his calm demeanor didn't fade, making it unnecessarily creepy.

"There are fates worst than death," he managed weakly. "Valhalla!"

"May your soul rot," TD spat, being only decent enough to close the glassed-over eyes. Tempus pulled his horn free, before his anger faded as he looked around at the men he had killed. His body shook violently, before he shook his head.

"They were all bad people Tempus," He murmured to himself. His axe floated in the air nearby, the edge chipped and showing numerous notches in it. There was also a crack now running through the center of the axe head, showing just how much force Tempus had been putting behind his blows.

Tempus turned back to TD, then screeched as a blast of dark magic came out of nowhere and hit him, throwing him backwards as it absorbed into his body.

TD looked around for the attacker, only for him to freeze as a painfully familiar dark chuckle echoed in his head.

 _You may have banished me to the Void, Terror of Dimensions, but I left behind this gift,_ The Shadow hissed in the entities thoughts. _I hope you enjoy it._

Tempus scowled at TD, before a sphere of power grew around him, turning fast. TD stepped back as it grew larger, and changed color. When it changed to black, it suddenly exploded, revealing a black alicorn wearing stark white armor, his eyes alight with a cruel red light as he tipped his head back and laughed maniacally. The alicorns mane and tale were dark gray.

"And now it is time for me to rule!" The alicorn shouted, his voice an eviler version in Tempus's. TD was startled.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded. "What have you done to my friend?"

The alicorn glared at TD, his green eyes narrowing.

"My name is Timestopper!" The corrupted alicorn shouted, before he cast a glance downwards, a wicked grin crossing his face as he spotted the Elements of Time scattered on the ground.

"Time to claim my prize!" He cackled. Tempus's axe suddenly flew towards TD, stopping next to him. The black tunes on the blade turned blue, and TD heard Tempus's voice in his head.

 _"Don't let him get the Elements! Do whatever you can to protect them!"_

TD didn't need to be told twice. Without even bothering to snap his fingers for looks, he caused the Elements to disappear from their current locations and reappear in a magical shield behind him. Spheres of magic appeared in his hands along with balls of red fire and he glared daggers at Timestopper.

"If you want them, come and claim them!" the chaotic entity challenged, subconsciously using a second spell on the Elements of Time in case the shield wasn't enough. Timestopper glared at TD, before snorting.

"I didn't need them anyways!" He said before he disappeared in a blast of white light. Where he had been standing, a flame suddenly leaped into existence, and when it had died out it revealed a rolled up scroll, tied with a black ribbon that had a seal bearing Tempus's symbol; a flame behind a scythe. Curious, TD cautiously approached the scroll and picked it up. The seal suddenly disappeared, and the scroll magically unrolled itself, revealing words written in a silver ink:

"To free your world from corrupted time, follow my words;  
Under the light of stars you shall find the wielder of Time.  
The wielder of Future is a mare that always knows.  
Where Chaos and Friendship meet, you shall find Life.  
When you find Past, he shall be one of a dark lineage who stepped out of his fathers shadow.  
Death and Honesty share their wielder.  
The wielder of Present, a Heart of Crystal she has.  
When Harmony and Time unite,  
The prince shall be freed.  
A shadows darkness destroyed,  
Never again to be seen."

TD puzzled over the message in frustration.

"Gosh darn it! I'm terrible at riddles!" he screamed. "Someone please help with this!"

Wish granted!

No sooner had TD spoken than a holographic image of a message thread appeared in the sky before him. He looked it over, then deadpanned.

"Billy Boy, sometimes your mind is like a pile of mush," he grumbled to himself. Tempus's axe continued to hover in the air near TD, until it's runes suddenly lit up bright red as they started humming, and it pointed its blade towards Canterlot, almost as if trying to tell TD something was happening in the capital of Equestria.

"And of course Canterlot is in trouble. Why not?" TD asked sarcastically. He was about to leave, but then remembered Tempus's axe. He picked it up and shrugged.

"Might as well," he stated as he hung it on a belt at his side. The runes on the axe continued to hum, the pitch changing almost as if it was responding to TD, before it started to drag him towards Canterlot.

* * *

"Why am I not surprised?" TD asked himself upon arriving. As he looked around, TD realized that all throughout the city, ponies were frozen in the middle of what they were doing. As he looked towards the castle, he saw that there was a hole where the front doors had been earlier in the day.

"Not this again," he muttered, rushing through the streets at a speed that would almost make Rainbow Dash jealous. He rushed through the doors of the palace, looking around for any danger or even the alicorn he was hoping to find. There was a loud smashing sound, and the Timestopper's voice echoed throughout the palace, coming from the direction of the throne room.

"Stop delaying the inevitable and just surrender!" The corrupted alicorn shouted, followed by the sound of blasts of magical attacks being exchanged. TD snarled.

"Gotcha," he muttered, then in an explosion followed by a mushroom cloud, he appeared in the throne room where the fight was taking place. And received a blast to the face as a result. TD knew whose magic it was, regardless of the fact that it was accidental.

"Ow... That was my eye, Tia!" TD growled as his vision slowly The alicorn princess looked like she was going to say something, but before she could, she was forced to dodge a blast of dark magic that slammed into the wall of the throne room, taking a chunk out of it. Timestopper was brutally and mercilessly attacking Celestia, not giving her any respite as he fired attack after attack, sometimes even swinging the double-bladed battle-axe he has somehow obtained, and even though they were really faint TD could see runes on the blades that spelled out dark magic.

 **"Surrender Celestia!"** Timestopper shouted as he launched another attack, before following up with a second one directly afterwards. Celestia dodged the first blast, but the second one hit her directly on the side, throwing her backwards as Timestopper walked towards her, putting a hoof on her side to keep her down as he raised the axe above his head with his magic, ready to bring it down on his enemy.

 _Not on my watch,_ TD said to himself inwardly, then aloud, "Tas!"

Magical cords appeared and latched onto Timestopper, pulling him away from Celestia. Not wasting a minute, TD fired another burst of magic from his hands which hit Timestopper's horn, causing it to go numb as the axe clattered to the floor. Timestopper glared at TD, before his entire form turned into a white fog, dispersing and flying out of the throne room through a broken window. The axe glowed brightly, before it too disappeared.

"Good luck casting spells for the next hour or two," TD giggled, then looked to Celestia. "You alright Tia?"

"I'm... fine..." Celestia managed, standing up slowly. "Thanks William."

"Anytime," TD replied. "But now's not the time for formalities. We have to get going." He started to snap his fingers, but then realized something. "Wait, where's Sunshine?"

"Oh..." Celestia giggled and pointed to her forehead just in front of her crown, where a small insect of some kind (TD guessed it to be a pill bug or tiny grasshopper) was snuggled up on her.

"She's quite comfortable for the time being," Celestia explained. TD couldn't help but smile, then snapped his fingers again to move on to the next one: Starlight.

* * *

When they appeared in Ponyville, a massive dark cloud bank hovered over the city, lightning flashing through the sky as rain poured down in torrential sheets.

TD looked around and saw a message written on the side of a building in what looked like fire, which should have been put out by the rain. It read: **"You may have cut off my ability to use my horn TD, but I have another type of magic you can't disable."**

All of a sudden, there was a loud cracking noise, causing Celestia and TD to look in the direction of the castle of Friendship. As they watched, ice started to coat it in a thick layer, starting from the highest point and steadily working its way down the building.

"Oh no you don't!" TD screeched, releasing a large blast of fire upon the ice, slowly melting it. But judging by how fast it was spreading, it didn't seem like TD was having much luck. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry. The ice suddenly disappeared in a cloud of steam as a second beam managed to melt it completely. TD smirked when he saw who it was, for it eliminated his search by a considerable amount. Zach trotted over to the castle, followed shortly by Starlight coming out of the castle doors, surprise etching her features at the ice that had formed. Starlight blinked at TD, before dipping her head respectively towards Celestia.

"Princess Celestia, it's a surprise to see you here," The unicorn said, before she locked her eyes onto TD. "Now, mind telling me what is going on TD!?"

Before TD could answer, a voice rang out, speaking a couple words in a strange tongue, which TD recognized from hearing Michael speak it sometimes; ancient Pyrunian. A second later, a giant spike of ice flew through the sky, aimed right at their group. Zach placed up a shield immediately, and when the ice spike hit the shield, it shattered on impact; the shield itself was hardly even dented. The pegasus smirked.

"Unlike my father, I'm not weak to such attacks," he scoffed at the unseen Timestopper.

"Way to rub it in," TD joked, then said to Starlight, "Long story short: evil alicorn trying to take over. We need to gather certain individuals to stop him, you included."

Starlight sighed. "Why couldn't it just be a normal day?" She complained to no one in particular.

Timestopper's voice suddenly rang out clear through the air.

 **"You may have beat me twice TD, but you shall not make it to your next destination!"**

The alicorns voice declared, and a dark form shot by overhead, heading in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, before he turned in midair and snapped off something in Pyrunian, causing a massive wall of flame to appear around the farm, completely cutting it off from the rest of Ponyville. And just like before, for some reason the fire refused to be extinguished by the torrential downpour. TD sighed, then made a swiping motion with his hands. The flames suddenly dispersed and the chaotic entity couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

"Note to villain: never use flames against a Master of Fire," he stated aloud, then walked towards the farm to inspect the place. It turned out to be unnecessary, as Applejack was already rushing towards him so they met about halfway.

"William, what in tarnation is going on here?!" the earth pony demanded.

"Evil alicorn, need your help," he replied quickly.

"Uh... okay?" Applejack was a bit confused, but she understood the basic message; TD needed her help. There was a thud behind the group, and they all turned around to see Timestopper standing behind them, his green eyes narrowed threateningly as the rain seemed to part around him, not getting him wet.

 **"You know, I've always wondered what it would be like to watch a pony be boiled alive in a geyser,"** The corrupted alicorn mused, before he chanted something off in Pyrunian, causing blasts of scalding hot water to start erupting from the ground all around their group. **"And now I'll get to see it!"** He cackled with wicked glee, taking to the sky to watch from safety.

Starlight screamed as a geyser erupted right beside her, and she scrambled backwards as a few drops landed on her, causing her to scream again, this time in pain from coming into contact with the burning hot water.

"Oh lord, Yellowstone has come to Equestria!" TD shouted, then slammed his hand to the ground as his body pulsated with power. The geysers faded away like a mirage and TD wiped his brow.

"Whew! That was TOO close!" he exclaimed. Meanwhile, Zach had gone over to Starlight to attend her burns.

"Hold still, Aunt Starlight," he said to her gently as his wings glowed. The burns slowly faded from her skin and he beamed her a smile. Starlight sighed with relief, before giving Zach a hug.

Timestopper snarled in anger, before he shouted something in ancient Pyrunian. All of a sudden, the rain stopped and the clouds started to multiply, before shooting off towards the north. As they went, some of the clouds suddenly dropped funnels down out of them, forming twisters.

 **"Let's see how you deal with this TD!"** The corrupted alicorn cackled, before he took off, heading in the direction of the Thunder Empire. Starlight's face fell as she looked at TD.

"What now, TD!? He's basically made it so he's in two places at once!" the unicorn exclaimed.

Tempus's axe suddenly leapt from TD"s grip, the runes changing to a blue color as they shot out beams of energy, forming a holographic screen split into two pictures, sort of like the holograms Tempus could summon. One half showed the storms that had gone north, bearing down on the unsuspecting Crystal Empire, while the other half showed Timestopper as he flew through the air, a wicked glint in his green eyes as he muttered to himself in Pyrunian. TD thought about this, then decided on a plan.

"Zach, go help your cousin," he ordered. "I'll take care of Timestopper. The rest of you, stay here."

Zach gave only a short nod before disappearing in a cloud of feathers, then TD snapped his fingers and teleported himself so that he was now facing the elusive evil that plagued this world.

"Going somewhere?" he stated sarcastically. Timestopper reared and stopped himself in his flight, his green eyes widening in shock before they narrowed again.

 **"Yes, in fact, I am,"** The corrupted alicorn growled, before he said something in Pyrunian that sounded like cracking wood. A bolt of lightning seared the sky between him and TD, and when TD's vision cleared the alicorn was gone, having slipped away when he was blinded. TD tried to teleport to him again, only to find he couldn't locate the alicorn; this was due to the fact that Timestopper had layered an extensive, undefeatable, protective spell around him using Pyrunian magic, which made it impossible for one to teleport to the location of the creature or item the spell is cast around. TD growled.

"Of course he'd use that one," he muttered. "Well, guess I'll have to do this the hard way..."

He snapped his fingers, but nothing seemed to happen, although the human was grinning widely. Then, he snapped his fingers again and found himself in the midst of the storm surrounding the Thunder Empire; the identifying feature that gave it its name.

"Are you too afraid to come out and face me, you cowardly snake?" TD challenged. A bolt of lightning suddenly crackled past TD, barely missing the chaotic entity, before a white fog suddenly raced by him super fast, the clouds around it starting to crackle as more lightning started coming from them.

Tempus's axe materialized by TD's side, it's runes glowing an icy blue color, before a cold voice came out of nowhere.

 _"It seems you may need a weapon of Pyrunian magic to face off against a user of Pyrunian magic,"_ the voice said, sounding like cracking ice. The runes pulsed as the words were spoken, and TD realized the axe was the one talking.

"I knew that taking the axe would be beneficial," he said aloud, then to the axe, "Do you happen to know where he is?"

 _"I can follow his trail and lead you the way he has gone,"_ The axe spoke. _"Pyrunian magic has a telltale effect on the environment around it. One must know what signs to look for in order to track it. And if battle him you must, I am a Pyrunian weapon; forged in the forge of the master smith of Pyrus before the planet fell. The same forge that produced weapons like the Scythe of Terror, the Sword of Death, and countless others."_

TD gave the axe a deadpan look, and the axe stopped talking, before saying, _"All I'm trying to say is that embedded in me is Pyrunian magic. You don't know the spells, but I can counter whatever spells your enemy uses against you."_

TD pondered this, then shrugged.

"Well, might as well," he said, taking the axe. "Alright then, where is he? I'm feeling ready to smash his skull in."

The axe seemed to fall dormant for a minute, humming softly, before it suddenly shot off, pulling TD along at extremely high speeds as it went farther into the Thunder Empire.

 _"I sense multiple spells being cast nearby in Pyrunian; all based off darkness,"_ The axe said after a few minutes. _"Be prepared for anything; I know not what spells they are, for they are like nothing I have ever felt before."_

TD didn't answer, but simply kept his senses alert in case of an attack. He hadn't seen or heard from his friend Phantom Void yet, but he hoped that the alicorn Shadow Pony was faring well. Eventually, TD could see the splendid kingdom before him, having exited the storm that protected it. But all was not gleeful in the empire. All around the kingdom, clouds shaped like skulls floated through the skies, and every so often blasts of black lightning would come from them. One such lightning bolt flew right by TD, and the chaotic entity shuddered as he felt the darkness coming off the spear of electricity, realizing that if it had touched him, it would have killed him.

 _"I like this not. He has twisted the very nature of Pyrunian magic to fit his own needs!"_ The axe exclaimed, it's icy voice full of a cold fury. _"These spells are not meant to exist! They are a disgrace to the Pyrunian culture, Pyrunian magic, and even to the planet Pyrus itself!"_

At that moment, a cracking sound came from below as a massive hole opened up in the ground of the kingdom, swallowing several buildings and some of the residents before the empty hole suddenly lit up as lava bubbles up from within, filling it completely before beginning to flow out of it. In another part of the city, entire building stood frozen solid, as beams of pure cold blasted through the streets, freezing solid anything they touched. TD watched this chaos with rage and sorrow. Truly, Timestopper was one without compassion.

Wait... chaos. TD realized how he could use this to his advantage. The destruction caused by Timestopper was creating waves of chaos which TD could feel fueling his body, as well as his powers. He could reverse this all in a snap, or use it to fuel his powers in the fight he knew was approaching.

The sound of magic against magic broke his train of thought as he say three alicorn figures battling against the one who had invaded their homes. Whether to mock them or some other twisted thought, Timestopper had revealed himself to the rulers of the Thunder Empire. And of the three, TD noticed that only Phantom and his daughter had much luck in fighting him, which made sense since both could use dark magic; Phantom especially hailed from a race that was practically a living embodiment of the forbidden arts. Timestopper suddenly seemed to shift in place, appearing away from the other alicorns, he opened his wings as wide as they would go, before he began to chant in Pyrunian, the air all around his three opponents rippling. As he finished the end of his chant, dozens of himself appeared around the three alicorns, before they all flew at them.

The axe mutter a curse in ancient Pyrunian. _"You have to help them! I know that spell, and every copy of him will have powers far stronger than the original! They won't stand a chance!"_

TD nodded, then levitated off the ground and up to the level where his friends were fighting. By now, his reeled in anger was on the verge of breaking, and this seemed a more than appropriate time to use it.

"ENOUGH!" TD screeched, as a massive shockwave left his body and sliced through Timestopper's clones, disintegrating them in a second. The three alicorns looked to TD with surprise, but the human paid little attention to them as he faced down the true Timestopper.

"Phantom," he said to the Shadow Pony behind him, "Get to the Castle of Friendship."

The Shadow Pony didn't need to be told twice. With a glow from his horn, his body became a mass of shadows that flew off towards Ponyville at a neckbreaking speed, while TD subtly made sure that his flight path was not interrupted. He then growled at Timestopper.

"I thought this was between you and me," he stated. "But you HAD to bring them into it, didn't you? And that pisses me off!"

Timestopper glared at TD, before his form dissolved into fog. Instead of fleeing however, he shot towards Luna, whipping around her and encasing her in a whirlwind. In a matter of seconds, the whirlwind of mist disappeared, leaving no trace of Timestopper... or Luna.

"MOM!" Midnight screeched.

"HEY!" TD called. "Let her go and face me yourself! Or are you too scared to try?" Then softer to the axe, "Uh, where'd he go?"

The axe was silent, before it spoke in its icy voice.

 _"To a place he can enter naturally, but you shall need the Elements of Time to enter; The Time Realm, where all timelines merge and any past, present, or future can be seen... of any world."_

"Then it's back to the castle we go," TD muttered, teleporting there upon finishing. The others were already waiting for him there, Zach having managed to get Flurry safely to the Castle and Phantom arriving unhindered. TD sighed as a flash of light appeared, causing the Elements of Time to appear. As the Elements of Time appeared, they glowed with power, before unleashing a blast of magical energy into the center of their group. After a few seconds, the energy stream cut off, and the magical energy solidified into an almost solid looking hologram of Tempus, who looked around at the assembled ponies.

"Okay, not what I had in mind, but it'll do," TD remarked. Tempus smiled kindly at the ponies present, before he spoke.

"If you're seeing this, I've probably become Timestopper. You're also probably currently about to try and enter the Time Realm." He looked at the six ponies he had chosen to wield the Elements of Time. You must be warned; The Time Realm is a volatile place. You will see things that will shock you," Tempus said gravely. "But before you go, I'm going to direct this question towards TD."

The hologram seemed to look directly at TD. "When Harmony and Time unite, The prince shall be freed," The alicorn recited. "Do you have both Time and Harmony, TD?"

"Time and Harmony? Wait..."

TD realized something and closed his eyes, as he performed something he thought he'd never do in his life. In a flash, the Elements of Harmony appeared, floating around him.

"Is this what you're referring to?" TD asked. "Or are you just a recorded message?"

"If you do have the Elements of Harmony, then hopefully you'll remember that just having one of the ponies present who wields both and Element of Time and Harmony present won't allow you to use the Elements of Harmony," Tempus replied, answering TD's question about whether he was a recorded message or not. The holographic Tempus stopped talking; obviously Tempus had recorded this message using his ability to see the future.

"He's right. Without the others, the Elements of Harmony aren't much good," Applejack pointed out.

"Well, that's not entirely true," TD replied with a smirk. Everyone looked at him questionably.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"What I mean, Tia, is that I may or may not have been practicing wielding them once upon a time," TD answered. "But, if it does go south, then by all means get the others."

Tempus frowned at TD, obviously not pleased with the answer, but he sighed.

"Well, I guess you all are ready to enter the Time Realm," He said, as the Elements of Time floated apart, each one approaching its designated wielder.

Time went to Starlight, Future went to Celestia, Life went to Zach, Past went to Phantom Void, Death went to Applejack, and Present went to Flurry Heart.

"Understand this before you make the journey," Tempus warned, looking straight into the eyes of each Element wielder. "In the Time Realm, you will be exposed to pasts, presents, and futures of every version of your world, even my own. You must be of strong heart, soul, and mind to enter the Time Realm and exit with your sanity intact."

He then glanced at Phantom Void, before saying in a kind voice. "And for you, Phantom Void, do not let your anger get a hold of you when TD tells you what Timestopper has done."

Before Phantom could say anything, the hologram of Tempus reared up onto his back legs, spreading his wings.

"Focus to activate the Elements of Time, and say in your mind you wish to go to The Time realm. When you enter, you must go through at the same time, or else the portal will close and cut off the rest of your group. Remain strong, be brave, and bring me back."

With those last words, the hologram of Tempus lit his horn with his magic, before fizzling out of existence. The group was silent for a moment, then Phantom broke through it with his dark, yet somehow not evil voice.

 ** _"Well then, let's get this over with,"_** he said. They all closed their eyes and focused at once, causing the Elements to light up and start to envelope them in a bright light. TD merely sighed and snapped his fingers before the light engulfed him; he had latched onto their spell signature, and it allowed him to be carried along with them as they were sucked up into a realm none of them had entered before...

* * *

As they appeared in the Time Realm, the first thing they noticed was the amount of ever-changing visions that appeared and vanished throughout the realm. As the group looked around, trying to get oriented, one vision came to the front, crystal clear. In it, three alicorns stood side by side, facing a fourth one.

The three alicorns were Luna, Celestia, and Tempus, although it could be seen that this was a vision from Tempus's world. The Celestia and Luna in the vision pulled out the Elements of harmony, while Tempus pulled out the Elements of Time. The alicorn rulers powered up the elements, before they fired their beams of power, the silver beam from the Elements of Time intertwining with the rainbow beam from the Elements of Harmony, and they arced down towards the fourth alicorn, who tried to blast the beam with lightning from his horn, before being overwhelmed by the magical energy.

As the vision ended, a dark figure approached them, his glowing green eyes immediately identifying him.

"Whoa, ugly!" TD screeched upon seeing Timestopper. The others just glared at him briefly, before fixing their gaze back on the alicorn before them. Timestopper grinned wickedly, before he glanced at TD.

 **"You haven't told Phantom Void yet,"** The corrupted alicorn noted, cackling. **"You should have taken your precious hologram's advice, TD."**

As the alicorn spoke, his horn glowed with dark magic, and Luna appeared in the air beside him, suspended by his magic and bound tightly.

 ** _"Luna!"_** Phantom Void growled. **_"Let her go!"_**

"And of course this would happen," TD muttered. Timestopper laughed maniacally as his axe appeared, and he brought it up so the edge of one of the blades was resting on Luna's throat.

 **"Her life... for the Elements of Time and Harmony,"** The corrupted alicorn snarled, a cruel look on his face.

"You really think we're just gonna hand them over to you?" Zach demanded.

 ** _"Wait! Don't... don't kill her,"_** Phantom pleaded. TD said nothing, but he was looking to Luna as if giving her a silent message of confidence. Timestopper growled, before he pulled the axe back and tossed Luna towards them.

 **"There. To show I mean to keep my side of the bargain,"** He spat. **"Now; give me the Elements."**

Behind Timestopper, unseen by him but seen by the group facing him, a vision of them unleashing the power of the Elements on him appeared, lasting only for a few seconds before fading away, but not before it showed Tempus staggering up from the ruins of Timestopper's armor.

 **"You have half a minute before I just freeze time and take them from you,"** The corrupted alicorn growled.

TD was the first to react.

"You want them so badly?" he asked, as an unexpected glow came from him. "Well, have some!"

A multicolored beam escaped his body and struck Timestopper squarely in the chest. Everyone now realized that somehow TD had been powering up the Elements of Harmony during the conversation. As if reading their minds, TD explained.

"Mute spell, combined with an illusion spell. Very handy," he remarked. "Now! Hit him now!"

Their surprise only lasted for a second longer before they too started to power up their own Elements, aiming for Timerstopper. Timestopper howled in rage, before firing his horn, blasts of dark magic shooting towards the group who dared to stand against him.

As if on a second thought, Timestopper began to chant in Pyrunian before a flash of blue light ignited in the distance and a glint of silver flew towards them, until it resolved into Tempus's silver axe, the entire blade glowing with magic. The blade slammed into Timestopper's back, and the corrupted alicorn snarled in outrage as he found he could no longer access his Pyrunian magic.

"Attack now! I know not how long I can hold him back from his powers!" The axe yelled, it's icy voice strained.

"Way ahead of ya!" TD shouted, as he fired yet another blast from the Elements of Harmony. This time, the Elements of Time had been readied properly now as well, and fired its own beam. The two beams connected with Timestopper at the same time and engulfed him in a blinding light. Timestopper screamed as he felt the power of the Elements of Time and Harmony slamming into him. The corrupted alicorn felt himself grow weaker and weaker, until he felt onto the ground, unable to continue standing.

As he felt his armor crack, the corrupted alicorn closed his eyes and snarled with his last words, **"Corrupted time... shall return... but to Tempus's homeworld in the far future."**

TD somehow managed to hear him and muttered his own reply.

"Then you'll be stopped then as you have been now."

With one last shriek, the form of the corrupted alicorn Timestopper exploded, releasing a blast of pent up dark magic energy along with something even darker that only TD noticed. TD stared hard at the darker signature, oblivious to his friends for the time being as he tried to think back on where he had seen something similar to that before. For a split second, a voice hissed in his head, sounding exactly like Voidless Darkness.

 **"You may have banished me from that form, but I shall return and terrorize your friend's world!"**

As the darker signature faded, a figure started moving in the wreckage of Timestopper's armor. A brown wing spread out, and a brown leg came into view as a fiery red ethereal mane streaked with black came into view, along with a normal green eye that was filled with compassion and regret, as well as a deep hurt. With a groan, Tempus tried to stand, only to fall backwards and groan as he turned, revealing his silver axe still embedded in his back, the blade still glowing with magic. TD came over to him and held him still for a bit in his arms.

"You okay mate?" he asked. "That was quite a nasty one you took. And, not to alarm you, but there's an axe sticking into your spine."

Tempus grunted. "You think?" he asked through clenched teeth, before the axe pulled itself out of his back, the wound healing over. The alicorn stallion blinked as tears came to his eyes, and as he saw the ponies who had come to save him, he broke into tears, staggering forward and collapsing at Celestia's hooves, sobbing.

"I..I.. I'm so sorry!" he cried. "I'm sorry for everything I did to you as Timestopper. Please... forgive me!" He continued sobbing, his sides heaving.

Normally TD would've laughed at something that sounded this absurd, but since he had been in such a situation in his past, he was simply silent. Celestia looked down at Tempus, then smiled and lifted his head to look up at her.

"You are forgiven, Michael," she answered with a reassuring tone.

"As someone who's been in that position before, you have my forgiveness too," TD answered.

"And mine," Zach added. Everyone else seemed to follow suit afterwards, with only Luna being silent for the time being. Tempus looked at Luna, before he stood, his gaze sad.

"Luna, I'm sorry... I never would want to hurt you," The brown alicorn said, before his face twisted into a snarl. "And believe me, I tried to free myself with my own magic multiple times, but Voidless Darkness kept taking control, making me stop the spell every time it was almost finished... he liked me being evil..." The alicorn paused, before his eyes widened.

"I can't feel him anymore!" He exclaimed. "Voidless Darkness is gone from my body!"

"Well, I'd say that's a relief," TD stated, but then fell silent again when Luna still didn't answer. At last, Luna spoke.

"I... do not accept the apology, because you are not the same pony that I saw attacking me or holding me hostage earlier," she said, then gave Tempus a smile. TD let out a loud sigh of relief when she finished, then smiled at Tempus.

"She just pulled an Assassin's Creed apology response on you," he said with a smirk.

"A- what now?" Starlight asked in confusion.

"Don't ask, just roll with it," Applejack warned. Tempus let out a sigh of relief, before he looked at Starlight. There was something in the alicorns eye that caught TD's attention, before Tempus turned, his gaze focused into the distance.

"TD, follow me; there's something I need to show you," the Prince of Time said. "The rest of you stay her; we shall be back shortly."

With that said, Tempus walked off, heading away from the group. TD followed him at a distance.

"So, what did you want to show me?" he asked. Tempus was silent, walking along. As they walked, the Time Realm seemed to react to something that the prince of time was doing, for a vision appeared in front of Tempus.

It showed him standing on a balcony in the castle at Canterlot beside an alicorn mare who looked familiar to TD, but he didn't recognize her immediately. It was only when the mare put a wing over Tempus's back and turned her head to one side that TD recognized her. The mare was Starlight. As that vision faded away, another one appeared; this one also containing Tempus and Starlight, who was an alicorn in the vision and not a unicorn, playing with two foals; one a colt and the other a filly. Tempus sighed as if with longing, and when he glanced at TD the chaotic entity saw a tear rolling down his face.

"You can't tell anypony this," Tempus said firmly. "Remember when I said I knew who I was going to end up marrying one day and have two foals with? These are visions of the future of my world."

"I see..." TD noted. "Well, I'd say she's a good choice. You're a lucky guy. But how'd she get-"

TD stopped when multiple visions appeared before him at once, each one from a first-person perspective. As such, TD didn't know who it was it was showcasing, until he saw a familiar face appear in one of them; a female human with a kind of sparkling night-blue rose in her hair.

"...Nyxia..." he managed softly. "Those... are visions of my past."

Tempus nodded. "All pasts, presents, and futures reside here TD. This is how I kept an eye on you for the years I co-ruled my Equestria beside my sisters, and while I was exciled by Celestia," the alicorn explained. "And to answer your un-finished question, I can either tell you with words or show you. Which would you prefer?"

"Show me," TD replied instantly. "It'll make it more believable for me." His expression then softened into one that held some sadness. "But... can I have a moment first before these visions fade?"

Tempus nodded, understanding in his eyes.

"I'll be getting the vision I wish to show you ready," He said, trotting a few steps away and igniting his magic, the screens showing visions starting to blur as his magic took control of them, trying to bring the vision he wanted into view. TD, meanwhile, used his own magic to show some very specific visions of his past all together, the faces of all his previous relationships before Twilight now visible. They each were looking towards him through the screens and TD stared at them all for a moment, even placing his hand on one of the screens as if trying to reach out to them. He closed his eyes, then slowly a smile came to his face as a few tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I know you probably can't hear me," he said softly. "but thank you. All of you, for bringing me happiness during those years. Even if it was only temporary. It... means a lot to me. Without that... I wouldn't be here." He sighed again and opened his eyes, then sang a line to a song softly and slowly:

 **TD:** _"It's everything you ever want._  
 _It's everything you ever need._  
 _And it's here, right in front of you._  
 _This is where you wanna be..."_

The images faded away and he looked over at Tempus.

"I'm ready now," he said. Tempus nodded, before the vision came up on the screen. It showed the map room of the castle of Friendship in his world, except in the vision instead of six big thrones and spikes small one, there was an extra throne surrounding the map table, bearing the symbol of a black cloud with a yellow lightning bolt coming out of it.

 _Twilight and a gray Pegasus lay on the floor of the room, holding each other. Standing in front of them was Starlight, except she wasn't an alicorn in this vision. Facing her was an light blue unicorn with a furious expression on her face._

 _"Crystal, you can't do this just because of your jealousy!" The Starlight in the vision tried to reason. She glanced backwards, checking on her friends._

 _"And why can't I?" The unicorn named Crystal asked snidely, her eyes full of hurt and anger. "Damiadon Thunder was the one pony I loved and he betrayed me for her! They both deserve to die!"_

 _"Killing them won't do anything!" Starlight cried, before the unicorn sighed. "Crystal Shard, if you want to get to them, you have to go through me first."_

 _"Gladly..." The other unicorn hissed as her horn lit up with a magical aura the color of bone, Starlight charging her own horn._ _The two unicorns charged at each other, and Starlight shot a spell at Crystal, who deflected it and launched her own spell at Starlight._

Tempus involuntarily let out a hiss as he saw Crystal Shard's spell hit Starlight, even though the unicorn put a shield up, throwing her backwards. Crystal stood over her fallen opponent, the energy from the spell she had fired crackling in the air around Starlight.

"This is all your fault. Only they had to die," Crystal said as Starlight coughed

"You won't win." The unicorn managed faintly, and Crystal leaned over her, grinning wickedly.

"And why's that?" She asked. Starlight let a grin come to her face, before she lunged upward and grabbed Crystal around the neck, the energy crackling around her extending around Crystal as well.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!" Starlight hissed into Crystal's ear. Both of the unicorns collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.

The vision then showed Tempus approaching Starlight in a star-lit version of the Time Realm. TD saw the unicorn's shock as she discovered she had died, before a smile of acceptance came over her face before Tempus cast a spell.

The next part of the vision showed Twilight sitting on her throne, the gray Pegasus who TD now recognized as Chris comforting her, before Tempus appeared, walking over to stand by Starlight's body, which began to glow as magical energy swirled around it. After a few minutes, the glow faded, revealing Starlight alive and healthy again, albeit an alicorn now.

Tempus sighed, letting the vision fade away. "I watched Starlight to see if she had the right qualities to become my Equestria's next princess, but with her past, my sisters and I needed more than what Twilight displayed. When I saw Starlight unselfishly sacrifice herself to save her friends, I knew she was ready to become an alicorn... and that was also the moment I fell in love with her," He explained, glancing at TD.

"Wow," TD remarked. "That's so beautiful!" He sighed. "I remember the time I first started to fall for Twilight. Believe it or not, it was during a moment when I was still their enemy. I had them all at my mercy, every last one of them. I could've killed Twilight, Celestia... everyone in the blink of an eye." His expression changed into a bit of a daydreaming one. "Yet, I didn't. Something made me hesitate. Back then, I didn;t know what it was. But I do now... it was because despite it all, she was still convinced that there was good in me, that I didn't truly wish for such an outcome, that I could still turn from the monster I was then. I'm SO glad she wasn't wrong."

Tempus chuckled. "Believe me, I actually hated Starlight for a long time after she was reformed by the Twilight of my world," he said, before his expression turned into one of pain. "When she started changing the past, it altered the timelines so much I had to disconnect myself completely until it was resolved, and seal myself in the Time Realm until I knew it was safe to return home..." he trailed off, lost in memory.

"Oh, that incident?" TD nodded in understanding. "I wasn't around personally when that happened, but I do remember watching it on the Season 5 finale. The one that gets to me the most is... the last one that Twilight shows her. And the reason why..." TD sighed. "I'm not sure if you got to see that, due to me fixing the past later on and making it so that it never happened... but, I- I destroyed Equestria. And it looked very similar to what Twilight showed Starlight when she altered time."

Tempus nodded, coming back to the present. "I saw it. But listen TD; there is something even more important that I need to tell you, regarding an event that will happen in the future of my world," He said, his face betraying some emotion about how important it was.

"I might already know what it is, but fire away anyways," TD said to him, giving him the go-ahead. The alicorn seemed to pause, before he jerked his head at one of the visions. It showed an airship docked in the sky above Canterlot, a familiar looking symbol in light blue on the side of it, before the vision changed, showing the throne room of the castle in Canterlot as if one was walking in from the doors. Along either side of the walkway, the petrified forms of alicorns and other ponies could be seen sitting on the throne. In place of Celestia was an alicorn with lightning crackling around his horn, holding a staff that TD automatically recognized. Beside the alicorn stood what appeared to be a figure with ash gray skin and glowing red eyes, but what caught TD's attention the most was the set of pure black dragon wings sprouting from the forms back.

Tempus spoke then, his voice filled with resolve.

"What you see TD will happen in my world soon... when my sisters and I defeated Thunderstrike, the alicorn who covered our land in storm, we sentenced him to Tartarus. However, a month after the Storm King's failed invasion of Equestria, he escaped, going to the Storm Isles and claiming the fallen king's throne as his own."

"Can that future be avoided or Thunderstrike stopped?" TD asked. Tempus shook his head.

"I have studied every path, every outcome," the alicorn explained. "All timelines for my world lead to this future. And at one point, I shall be captured after escaping Thunderstrike when he first takes Canterlot and petrifies my sisters; me, Cadance, and our significant others. Before I am captured however, I'll send a shockwave into your world, designed specifically to catch your attention."

The alicorn looked at TD, his face grim. "You know I normally don't ask for favors TD, but when you feel that shockwave, you and Zach must go to my world and find the children of myself, Celestia, Luna, and Twilight. They are to be the bearers of the Elements of Time in my world, and without me they shall need one to guide them in learning how to wield the Elements."

TD sighed. "There goes my plans for that evening," he joked. "But in all seriousness, I'll try my best. Just... don't get killed before I arrive."

Tempus rolled his eyes.

"I'll try not to TD," he said teasingly.

"But lemme guess... no promises?" TD asked with a knowing smile.

"Exactly," Tempus answered, before he turned to look at the group. "Now, let's head back. I feel indebted to explain to each of the Elements of Time why I chose them, and then I have a little surprise planned."

The alicorns eyes sparkled as he mentioned the surprise.

"If Pinkie were here, she'd flip upon hearing you had a surprise. Okay, let's do it," TD remarked, heading back towards the others. Tempus followed TD as they headed towards the group, stopping as they reached them. The alicorn looked at the ponies he had chosen to wield the Elements of Time one after the other.

"I am sure all of you wish to know why you were chosen to wield the Elements of Time," He said, his voice low. "If you want to know, I shall tell you."

"Yeah, Ah think that would be a big help," Applejack stated.

"And I thought my dreams of becoming an Element was going to stay that way," Flurry giggled.

Tempus chuckled, before nodding at Applejack.

"I'll start with you Applejack," The alicorn said. "I chose you to wield the Element of Death, because of your value in honesty. Out of all the Elements of Time, Death is the most volatile; if it's wielder doesn't wield it correctly, it will turn on them and kill them. Your truthfulness in always doing the right thing made you the perfect candidate for wielding the Element of Death, for I could see that with your honest heart the Element wouldn't stray from your wishes and turn on you."

Applejack didn't say anything, but simply nodded gravely to signal that she understood. Tempus turned to Phantom Void.

"I chose you to wield the Element of Past, Phantom Void, for the fact that even though your father was a terror to Equestria, you stepped out from his shadow and chose not to let your family's past define you or your own future. I knew the Element I chose you to wield would work the best for you."

Phantom bowed his head. "I will bear this Element to the best of my ability."

Tempus smiled at him, before turning to Zach.

"Zachary Sparkle, I chose you to wield the Element of Life because you show proof that Chaos and Friendship can coexist together. You also have a kind heart and stand up for those you love and care for, which made you the perfect choice for your Element."

Zach didn't know how he should react, so he stuck with simply giving a humble expression. Tempus then turned to Celestia.

"For the Element of Future, I knew I had to pick somepony who would never be surprised by what was thrown at her. Knowing that Celestia never failed to surprise me with what she knew, I chose her to wield Future; for I knew it was the best fit," He stated, smiling at the alicorn princess.

"Mm, I tend to have that affect on some ponies," she replied with a grin. Tempus then turned to Starlight.

"The Element of Time controls timelines, and if wielded incorrectly can cause massive damage to a world," He said. "I knew whoever were to wield it knew the risks of destroying a world's timeline, and I knew that you, Starlight Glimmer, have traveled through time, and learned your actions in the past could have massive consequences on the present. That's why I chose you to wield the Element of Time."

Starlight rubbed the side of one of her forelegs in embarassment.

"Yeah, that was not the hottest idea I've had," she admitted. Tempus smiled reassuringly at her, before finally turning to Flurry.

"And I chose you to wield the Element of Present, Flurry Heart, because your mother is the Princess of Love, which is a helpful thing to know, as well as friendship when having to embrace what is happening to you at any given moment in the present time," He said, finishing off giving his reasons.

"Well... I don't what to say," Flurry stammered, blushing from the attention she was receiving. Tempus smiled, before he ignited his horn with his dark blue magic, the aura of his magic grabbing the Elements of Time and levitating them over to him.

"I've protected these for countless years," The alicorn announced. "And now, I've decided to do this..."

With those words spoke, his horn started glowing even brighter, and the Elements of Time started glowing bright as powerful waves of magical energy started to come off the alicorn.

"Whoa..." everyone looked to him in awe.

"Eh, I've seen-" TD started, but Starlight cut him off.

"Don't ruin it for us," she stated. There was a sudden blinding flash of light, and when it cleared Tempus had bags under his eyes, like he was exhausted now, but held in his magic were two sets of the Elements of Time; one which he put into his saddlebags, while the other he continued to hold in his magic's grasp.

"Did you do a copy spell or something?" TD asked. "You could've asked me to do that while we wait for your Guardian powers to fully charge."

Tempus shook his head wearily. "No TD. I made an entirely new set of the Elements of Time with the exact same powers as the originals; only these are bound to the ponies I chose to wield them, and any that will come after them with the traits I described for each of my choices," he explained, before he levitated the new set of Elements respectively back to their wielder. As soon as every Element was by its wielder, there was a flash of light, and when it died down, it revealed that the Elements of Time had turned into necklaces like the Elements of Harmony had done, and in Applejack's necklace there was another setting that was empty. Tempus chuckled.

"Well, didn't expect that to happen, but it seems like that was bound to happen anyways..." He managed, before he stumbled, almost falling as his eyes started to close.

"Whoa, hold up buddy," TD said gently. "Lemme help with that."

His hands glowed and he placed them on the alicorn's head, filling him with a newfound energy.

"There, now you won't faint on us," he chuckled.

"Thanks TD." Tempus said, standing straighter.

The alicorn stretched his entire body, before he looked around, a wry grin on his face.

"Well, seeing that nopony has asked to leave yet, I take it you all want to stay a little longer?" He asked with a slight hint of teasing in his voice.

"Sorry, but no," Applejack answered. "Ah gotta get back to the farm and make sure nopony was hurt!"

"And we have a kingdom to run," Luna pointed out with Phantom beside her.

"In short, I believe we're all a bit busy," Flurry stated.

"I was just joking." Tempus laughed, then he ignited his horn. In an instant, they all found themselves back in Equestria, at the same point they had entered the Time Realm.

Tempus yawned. "Just... gonna take a nap..." he murmured, before collapsing on the ground and started to snore.

TD laughed. "Again, your powers aren't fully accustomed to your body and role yet." He sighed and picked up the alicorn with surprising ease. "I'll just take him up to Canterlot."

"Take care," Starlight replied.

"Later, Dad!" Zach called.

"See ya, partner," Applejack added.

Celestia simply chuckled and stood next to TD before he teleported both of them back to Canterlot. He gently laid Tempus on the floor and wiped his brow.

"Whew! This was quite the ride," he admitted. Tempus suddenly snorted and raised his head, blinking drowsily.

"Where are we?" He asked, his words slurred.

"Canterlot. In the palace. With Celestia," TD answered, almost making it sound like he was playing Clue.

"Oh..." Tempus said as he stood, stumbling a little as he got up. "Yeah, definitely used a bit too much magic today..."

"On that note, I suggest you take it slow for the time being if you can help it," TD suggested. "You Guardian powers haven't fully gotten accustomed to your body or title yet. But in about a week, they should get to normal levels. If by normal, I mean about as insane as my own."

Tempus nodded. "So basically... take it easy for a week?" He asked. "I think I can do that." He glanced at Celestia. "Earlier you said something about introducing Equestria to their most recent addition. What did you mean by that?"

Celestia smiled. "Well, you did say you were staying here, right? I figured it was only fair to let them know about the new prince before too many questions started to arise."

Tempus chuckled.

"True. And it would make it easier for me when I appear in the public with not having to wear something to hide my wings," He noted, a smile crossing his face. "Also... would I be able to call you Tia, Celestia? That's what I always called my Celestia."

Celestia giggled. "I'd prefer that you called me by that in the first place. It makes me feel more like any other pony."

"Tia is a good nickname anyways," TD agreed. Tempus nodded, before looking out a window.

"So, when do you plan on making the announcement?" He asked, nervousness in his voice. "Because I don't mind you doing it, but what if ponies accuse me of being evil because of what happened while I was Timestopper? I don't know if I could deal with that... I already have to deal with how much it hurt to have to watch myself do all that stuff..."

His voice cracked, like he was about to start crying. And sure enough, tears were starting to form in his eyes. TD placed his hand on the alicorn's shoulder.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Discord and I both were evil once upon a time, yet now the Equestrians often look to us for aid. They accept us. If they don't do the same for you, then they're hypocrites. Besides, Timestopper froze time in most of the areas he attacked, so there's nothing to worry about. They wouldn't even know who attacked them." He gave him a reassuring smile. "But even if the whole world turned its back on you, I'd still stand by your side. And I'm willing to bet your new friends would do the same."

Tempus sniffed, a grateful look on his face before he shook his head, as if riding himself of the bad thoughts.

"Okay... whenever you want to announce my presence to them Tia, I'm ready," He said, his voice still shaking slightly, but more firm than it was before. Celestia smiled again. "Give me fifteen minutes, and we'll begin."

She walked out of the throne room and TD chuckled.

"She really is a good princess," he commented. "She shouldn't have that much responsibility though. Being a Guardian of Equestria and a Princess, AND raising and lowering the sun..." He sighed. "How does she not fall asleep in the middle of her job?"

Tempus shrugged. "Beats me. You should have been there one time during breakfast in my Equestria, not too long after my sisters and I defeated King Sombra. I had had such a hard night monitoring the timelines that I fell asleep, and woke up with my face in my food, and Tia and Luna laughing at me."

He grinned sheepishly as he relived the memory.

"She is quite cheeky, ain't she?" TD gave his own cheeky grin. "Someday, I should start another prank streak with her."

Tempus shot TD a look.

"Just know that if you try and prank me, I'll know about it and manage to get you back without ever falling for your prank," the alicorn warned jokingly. Almost self consciously, Tempus touched his chest, remembering his chestplate he always wore alongside his crown in his Equestria.

"I wish I had my chestplate for when I get introduced," He said softly. "It would make me feel like I'm actually the prince of time like I am in my world."

"You mean THIS chestplate?" TD asked cheekily, holding up said object. He laughed hard. "You have time prediction, but I have the Fourth Wall!"

Tempus didn't even look surprised as he took his chestplate from TD, putting it on and running a hoof over the symbol engraved into the metal; a scythe over a flame.

"You know I saw that coming as soon as I mentioned it, right?" He remarked, a smirk plastered on his face.

"And I still have Fourth Wall breaking," TD stated. "Which for me is so much better. But hey, do what you will." He looked at the sun's position in the sky. "Should I speed things up a bit while we wait?"

Tempus nodded. "Please do; I don't think I could send us even a minute forward in time without passing out," He noted, his voice completely sincere.

TD chuckled. "Haven't tried this for a while..."

He pulled out a watch and turned the hands on it forward a bit until it was suddenly night time around them.

"Whoops! Too far!" he exclaimed, and turned the hands backwards. The daylight returned and Celestia was standing in front of them giggling.

"I'm not even gonna bother to ask," she managed between giggles. Tempus rolled his eyes.

"Remind me to figure out a way to prevent that once I start monitoring time here," He said to no one in general.

"No promises," TD chuckled. "Is it ready, Tia?"

"All set," she answered. "We're broadcasting live to all of Equestria and her allies." She shook her head in amusement. "Sometimes, your methods are a bit too convenient."

"Eh, I figured, 'Why waste time sending it by mail when they can see it happen the instant it starts?'" the human replied with a shrug. He looked to Tempus. "You ready man?"

Tempus nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I'm ready." He answered. "Let's do this."

The three of them walked out onto a balcony where a large crowd of ponies had gathered together. In the sky above them, several screen-like images were shown live from areas all across Equestria, including (but not limited to) The Crystal Empire, The Thunder Empire, Pinkie's hive, and various others. The crowd cheered as Celestia appeared, making TD chuckle.

"They act like she's a goddess," he noted.

Tempus rolled his eyes, before he hissed softly out of the corner of his mouth, "You should have been there after me and my sisters defeated Thunderstrike. We got so much appreciation, we actually considered refusing audiences for a couple of years."

TD shook his head in amusement as Celestia raised a hoof for silence, then she began her announcement.

"I've called you here today to announce the arrival and latest addition to our kingdom," she announced. "This pony has shown bravery against all odds and has proven himself a worthy participant in our struggle to preserve the Light of Friendship in our lands."

"There she goes, making it sound like religion," TD joked.

"I wish for you all to please welcome Prince Tempus, Guardian of Time!" Celestia called out, stepping aside to reveal the alicorn in question. Everyone was silent as if waiting for him to speak. Tempus stepped forward, spreading his wings halfway.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances," He proclaimed, his voice not shaking at all, but carrying a tone of confidence. "I'm very grateful to Princess Celestia for allowing me to join your kingdom, and I promise you that I will protect all of you with every shred of magic I have if it comes down to it!"

The crowd was silent, then cheers rang out at a deafening volume.

"Simple, but effective," Celestia noted.

"Yeah, I'll give him that," TD replied. Tempus grinned as he heard the cheers, feeling more and more confident.

"I can't wait to make more friends here, and continue helping to preserve the light of Friendship throughout the lands!" He continued, a beaming smile on his face as he spoke loud enough to be heard over the cheers. The cheers couldn't seem to get any louder, but they did.

"Way to go, Tempus!" TD cheered. Celestia just gave him a smile that told him he had done well. Tempus smiled even wider, waving at all those assembled, before he turned and walked back to join Celestia and TD.

"I may or may not have a talent for using simple words and short sentences to get a crowd going." He said, a look of newfound confidence on his face. Turning back to the crowd, he spread his wings to their full extent, before yelling at the top of his lungs, "The Light of Friendship shall never be extinguished as long as I have the ability to protect it! This I promise you!"

TD laughed as the crowd cheered once again.

"Alright buddy, I think that was good enough," he chuckled. "Let's get you inside before it gets to your head more than it has."

As he put the alicorn inside, TD looked out at the crowd.

"Alright, you can all go home now!" he shouted. "Except for family relatives, a few reporters, and new guys."

The crowd dispersed rather quickly when he said that.

"Works every time," the human chuckled. Tempus sighed as he calmed down.

"I'd forgotten how good it feels to hear a large crowd cheer like that in support of me," he remarked, smiling.

"It's a lovely feeling sometimes," TD agreed. "So, you ready to move on to the next chapter of your life?"

"You don't have to make everything sound like a book, William," Celestia giggled.

"I'm technically the author, so I can do whatever I want," TD pointed out.

Tempus nodded. "I think I am. I'll wait until my Guardian powers build up, then I'll start getting into things that involve magic. Until then, I think I'll try and make some new friends. And I have a few ponies in mind that live in Ponyville to try and befriend," he said, before smiling broadly. "Besides, it'll be interesting, since it'll be my first actual public appearance since the announcement thing."

"Fair enough," TD agreed. "Oh, and if you happen to meet any of my other children out there, don't feel shy when it comes to making friends with them. On that note..." TD pulled out a paper, stared at it, then gasped. "Oh, chestnuts! I'm gonna be late to that reunion party! Catch ya guys later!"

An explosion erupted on his position and when the dust cleared, TD was gone.

"He was maybe a little too heavy on the smoke," Celestia coughed. Tempus grunted in agreement, using his wings to push the smoke away from him.

"You could say that again," He stated, before he pulled his copy of the Elements of Time out of his saddlebags. "You have a secure place I can store these? I'd feel better not carrying them around with me all the time."

Celestia thought for a moment, then got an idea.

"There's an old storage area here in the palace where I used to hide the Elements of Harmony," she explained. "William made it much stronger with his magic, so it's virtually impenetrable." She then realized something. "You, uh, do know where that is, do you? Or do you not have it in your Equestria?"

Tempus smiled.

"We have it, I just haven't... exactly been in the castle until TD and I went there earlier... and I was being led around by my sister," He explained sheepishly. "So could you show me?"

Celestia giggled. "Right this way."

She led him through the halls, past the painted windows that marked momentous occasions or triumphs in Equestria's timeline. A few that Tempus noticed in particular showed TD from when he first came to Equestria up to his and Twilight's wedding and even a few others which he didn't have that major a role in, such as the reclaiming of the Thunder Empire. Tempus looked at the windows with interest, his eyes absorbing every detail.

"I always did love these windows," he admitted.

"I do too," Celestia agreed. "They show us all lessons to follow, whether it is to not repeat the mistakes of the past or to simply give a comforting message to follow by in your future."

She walked to the end of the hall and took a turn in the hall, following it until it hit what seemed to be a dead end at first. Celestia walked over to the wall and touched the wall with her glowing horn. The wall shimmered and revealed a large door that looked as if it belonged to a vault. She looked to Tempus.

"William had it disguised like that as a precaution," she explained. "Even so, he cast a powerful spell on the lock, so only a selected few are allowed access to the vault, myself included."

Tempus nodded. "That makes sense. I had to do something similar to my old living quarters, so that none could enter it except a select few."

"Clever," the princess stated, then stood back as the vault opened. Inside, many different weapons, armor, and other objects were seen lying on shelves carved into the wall. All of them had one thing in common: they had at least a small portion of power radiating from them. Celestia's eyes fell upon one particular weapon and shuddered. It looked like a double-bladed spear, with one blade larger than the other.

"That," she said, "is the wand of an evil witch who went by the name of Jadis. William tells me she used this wand to place an entire country in her world under an eternal winter for one hundred years. Perhaps you've heard of her?"

Tempus blinked, narrowing his eyes.

"Possibly... if I had, it was many years ago, and the details are loft to me right now..."

He looked through the items, before his gaze fell on one in particular; a sword that had a simple black leather-wrapped handle. Tempus stepped closer and examined it, before his eyes widened.

"Impossible..." He murmured, his mouth agape. "This was lost when Pyrus fell!" He turned to Tia. "How is it that the Sword of Death, a Pyrunian forged weapon, is in this vault Tia?" He asked, his eyes curious.

"That I cannot answer for you," Celestia replied. "For it is not me who put them there, but the one who promoted you." She sighed. "William has traveled through many universes, both as hero and villain alike. These relics he collected as both souvenirs and as boosts to his power in the past. He locked them up here when he reformed, because he did not wish for them to fall into the wrong hands."

Tempus frowned, before he pulled a small chest from his saddlebags with his magic and opened it, levitating the Elements of Time into it before putting it in the vault.

"That sword is one of the most legendary swords ever made from my original home," he explained. "It was once wielded by our most legendary warrior, who protected our kind for many years, never falling in a fight... at least, until our home world was invaded by TD, before he was reformed..."

He closed his eyes, tears leaking out of them as he recalled the events. Celestia put her hoof on his shoulder.

"I'm deeply sorry for your people," she said with genuine sympathy. "I understand to an extent what you went through."

Tempus took a deep breath.

"Thanks Tia. Now, how about we get to me teaching you those Pyrunian spells now?" he suggested, his sadness gone now, although it was still obvious in his eyes that it would always be a part of him. Celestia giggled as they shut the vault doors and it returned to looking like the wall.

"Of course. Lead the way," she said to him. Tempus smiled, before he turned himself in the direction they had come. From the look of concentration on his face, it was obvious he was trying to orient himself.

"Uh... maybe you can lead Tia," He said finally in defeat as he gave up, putting to memory that he had to memorize the castle layout again. Celestia giggled.

"Silly me," she chuckled, then led him out of the halls and towards the throne room once again...

* * *

 **Whew! This only took two or three days to make, and a week before I got around to copy/pasting it into my doc, but we finally managed to get this done!**

 **Thank you _Darkstalker728_! You rock man!**

 **I hope you enjoyed, and I'll cya in the next chapter!**


	45. Nightblade Sparkle

**I like crossovers TOO MUCH, to be honest. And collabs. But I keep moving along!**

 **Edit: A little typo occurred in the first update, which made it sound like Twilight had no siblings. I fixed it now!**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Nightblade sat down on the couch in his living room after a long and hard day at his craft; being a hero for Mobius. He was a purple wolf with a black bandanna on his head, a black trench coat with a grey sweater and pair of pants underneath, and baby blue shoes with yellow treads. A grey and purple striped scarf was around his neck, and a pair of glasses resting just above his nose. On his hands he wore a pair of grey gloves with a blue oval in their centers, and he wore a pair of large headphones over the top of his bandanna.

Nightblade sighed and laid back on the couch, hoping to catch a wink of sleep while he had the time. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a loud explosion that he knew to be coming from Tails's workshop. Nightblade sighed.

 _Well, look like I have to help tails, so he won't destroy his own home,_ he thought to himself. He got up and walked into the room that Tails was in.

"Tails? What happened here?" he asked, hoping that the little guy was okay.

"I'm okay... the same can't be said for my project," the two-tailed fox coughed, a small cloud of smoke just clearing away from nearby.

"Man... what did you create this time?" Blade asked.

"Well, I WAS trying to create a new kind of concoction for Knuckles," Tails replied. "But, before that, I think I finally managed to create a gateway to another dimension!" He gave a sheepish smile. "I, uh, haven't tested it yet, but if my calculations are correct it should work..."

"A Dimensional Portal... That's great!" Blade exclaimed.

 _I hope it won't explode like the other inventions,_ he thought.

"There's only one problem though," Tails remarked. "It requires a massive energy source to make it function properly. And you know for a fact that no one's gonna want me anywhere near such a thing except in a life/death situation."

"And you want me to use my magic to power this up right?" Blade Stared blankly at Tails.

"Well... if you want..." Tails began.

Blade sighed. "Looks like I have no choice," He muttered.

"Thank you!" Tails shouted enthusiastically. "Come on! It's this way!"

He led Blade to a corner of the workshop and pulled a cover off of a large arched structure. It was like a gateway, but without any power applied to the structure.

"So this is the Dimensional Gateway?" Blade asked.

"Yep," Tails said proudly, pulling a helmet out that was connected to the machine by a wire. "Just power her up and you're good to go! If you want a specific world that you know about, put the helmet on and it'll read what dimension is on your mind and make a gateway to that place."

"Okay..." Blade nodded, then used his magic to activate the Dimensional gateway. Sparks flew along the arch, then with the sound of an engine powering up and the lighting of a green light bulb over the top of the arch, the machine started up. In between the arches, a kind of blank mirror-like surface was seen. Tails clapped his hands together excitedly.

"This is amazing! I almost doubted it would work for a second there," he admitted. Blade Stopped using his magic and he felt exhausted.

"Well, that took half of my magic," he panted.

"I'll... make it worth your while," Tails reassured him. "Now, do you have any specific area in mind, or do you want it to be randomized?"

Nightblade began to think, until a jolt of electricity came to his mind.

"I know a place," He smirked.

"Alright then, just put the helmet on and it'll bring it up... hopefully," Tails explained. Blade put on the helmet and he started thinking of his home dimension. The mirror-like substance in the center shimmered and a lovely picture appeared before him that was quite familiar: a grassy plain just outside a beautiful town, with white puffy clouds in the sky above it.

"Whoa," Tails was amazed. "That's a beautiful sight. Where exactly did you think about going to?"

"You'll see..." He chuckled playfully.

"What, are you taking me with you or something?" Tails asked, giving him a smirk. Even if he meant it as a joke, Tails was admittedly curious about what lay on the other side.

"Well it is you're invention and my magic to make to power it up, so... how about we explore this dimension if you are very curious about it?" Blade suggested.

"Yes! Thank you!" he exclaimed. "But before we go..."

Tails took out a small sheet of paper and a pen from a nearby desk and wrote a short note on it, which he then stuck to the wall.

"That's just in case the other's wonder where we've gone," he explained. Blade nodded as he took out a small cube and placed it on the ground.

"Well... here goes nothing!" Tails remarked as he started walking through the portal.

"Wait for a second!" Blade grabbed Tail's arm. "We should ride this beauties for a while..." He pressed the small cube and it materialized into two different Hover Bikes.

"Whoa!" Tails's excitement couldn't seem to get any higher. "These are amazing!" He jumped on one and revved up the engine. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Blade hopped on his bike, wearing his helmet.

"Well then... Let's GO!" Blade's Hover Bike began to move through the portal at high speeds.

"YEAH!" Tails shot through it right after him.

* * *

The last thing anyone in that meadow expected to see was a portal open up and drop out two figures on Hover Bikes. The sight somewhat unnerved the local wildlife, who rushed off as fast as they could in fear. Tails noticed this and got a sheepish look.

"Guess we should've taken that into account," he muttered.

"Ya think?" Blade asked boldly. Tails just sighed, then looked around the area.

"Um Nightblade, is it just me or does this place make you feel ironically happy inside?"

"Happiness, yes; something else... Maybe" He said and he transformed into an Alicorn. "And I transformed back to my old appearance due to low magic."

"Heh, I almost forgot what you looked like in that form," Tails teased.

"Excusemeoutofthewaythere'snobrakesonthisthing!" a voice suddenly shouted at them, and a split second later a red blur rushed past them and smashed into a nearby boulder. The boulder shattered upon impact, but the figure was somehow still alive and lying on the ground.

"Ow... that was my head," they heard him groan.

"Don't even think about it, Tails," Blade growled, then he looked over at the shattered boulder. "You okay there?"

"Oh, never better!" the figure remarked, standing to his feet. It was then that they realized what he was. It was a red Mobian hedgehog with blue shoes and white gloves. One of his eyes was yellow, the other blue. The blue eye, his right eye, had a scar running across it and both held a mischievous look in them. He gave them a hard stare, then asked, "You're not from this place, are you?"

Blade got off his Hover Bike and he explained, "Well... Actually yeah, but... I'm just showing my friend here around while we visit this dimension, but..."

"Tails?" the hedgehog started, then seemed to realize something. "Wait, no. Sorry, different Tails."

"Different?" Tails was confused. "Like, there's another version of me or something you're acquainted with?"

"Exactly!" the hedgehog exclaimed enthusiastically. "But where are my manners? Red the Hedgehog, at your service!"

He made a small bow at the last part, seeming to be rather polite about it.

"The name's Nightblade Sparkle. Nice to meet ya!" Nightblade said. "And this is Tails... well my Tails from my universe," he corrected.

"A pleasure," Red replied, then his eyes lit up with surprise. "Wait... Sparkle. Like, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yeah... why?" Blade asked.

"Oh my gosh!" Red suddenly started laughing. "My gosh, what are the odds?! Hahaha!" He fell on the ground giggling. "Boy, is Twi gonna get a good surprise out of this one!"

Blade looked at Tails, then back to Red.

"Wait... What do you mean?" he demanded. Red managed to stop long enough to explain.

"Let's just say that here in this Equestria, Twilight doesn't have a twin sibling," he stated.

"Equestria? Seems fitting," Tails commented.

"Hmm, now that you're thinking of it..." Nightblade saw the town of Ponyville and the castle. "The pace looks the same... except for that." He pointed at the outskirts of Ponyville.

Oh, you mean the Changeling hive?" Red pointed out. "That'd be Pinkie's hive. She's had it moved there ever since finding the remnants of her original hive she came from about more than forty years ago."

"Whoa! It's huge! Like a giant bee or wasp nest!" Tails exclaimed. "That's so cool!"

"Wait... in this universe, Pinkie's a... CHANGELING?!" Blade yelled the last part.

"Mhm!" Red acted oblivious to the shock on Nightblade's face. "And she was very good at keeping that a secret for six whole Seasons." His smile faded as he continued. "But it wasn't all great for her. She had a tough foalhood. Left at the Pies' rock farm by her mother while sacrificing herself to save the still infant Changeling, forced to keep her origins secret from even her closest friends for fear of how they'd react... only AJ and her family learned about it at first, and they took the news rather well..."

Red realized he was rambling on and chuckled.

"Maybe they can explain it better," he said. "Why don't you come down there with me? I was just about to pop in for a visit, and the more the merrier I say."

"Can we?" Tails looked to Blade with a pleading expression. Blade looked at Tails and sighed.

"Fine..." He said.

"Yay!" Red cheered childishly. "Let's go!"

He rushed ahead of them as they got on their Hover Bikes again and followed him to the edge of town. Once there, Red took out a megaphone from- actually, neither Tails nor Blade knew where he got it from or how he was able to carry it around. Red held up the megaphone and called loudly into it.

"YEEEHAWW! What up, Equestrians? It's great to be back!"

"RED!" a high-pitched voice shouted, and Red soon found himself tackled and crushed in a big hug by a black and pink blur, which soon came into focus once she came to a stop. It was a Changeling; black in color with a pink mane and pair of pink wings to match, the mane looking exactly like a certain Party Pony's save that it was full of holes like her legs. Her eyes looked like pony eyes that were missing their pupils and her curved horn was a bit larger than most Changeling horns.

"Ohmygosh! You came here just in time to celebrate Sunshine's first birthday party with us!" Pinkie cried in glee as she crushed the hedgehog in her tight embrace. But instead of gasping for air like most ponies (or people even) would do, Red just laughed and hugged her back just as tight.

"Good to see you again, Pinkie Pie," he said to her. Blade stared blankly.

"Pinkie is a Changeling..." He mumbled repeatedly.

"Pinkie Pie?" another voice called, and soon the rest of the Mane Seven came around the corner, along with another figure Blade had not expected to see; a human with brown hair, blue eyes, and a fairly mischievous look in him. They rounded the bend and noticed the red hedgehog and all gasped at once.

"Red!" the girls cried out happily, bringing him and Pinkie into a big group hug.

"Hey guys! I really missed ya," Red said to them, hugging them tightly. Meanwhile, the human had walked over to Nightblade and was inspecting him carefully. After a moment, he chuckled.

"Who's your new friend, Red?" he asked.

"A human? In this world?" Tails was having an overload of information go to his head. The human noticed and laughed.

"It's a bit much to look at," he admitted. "Don't try to take it all in at once."

Nightblade eye's widened at what he saw.

"U-Um... Uh..." Blade was shocked and he had trouble speaking.

"Hey, is yer friend alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked Red as they pulled away to see how Blade was faring. This, however, allowed the alicorn to see just how much older they looked than he remembered them. Well, most of them at least; Twilight and Fluttershy still looked as young as ever, and Pinkie, while not as young as he remembered, was still looking like she was in the prime of her life even as a Changeling.

"Uh, buddy? Are you okay?" Tails asked, feeling a little concerned for his friend.

"I-i'm o-okay... it's just... I've never seen her in that form in any version of Equestria," Blade pointed at Pinkie. "AND I HAVE QUESTIONS!" His eyes sparkled.

"Whoa, easy there buddy!" Rainbow Dash reasoned. "We're all one the same side here."

"And we'll gladly answer any questions you may have for us," Rarity added. "It's only fair after all you've witnessed."

"But first, how is Tails with you?" Fluttershy asked.

"Wrong Tails, Flutters," Red piped up.

"Oh... never mind then," she replied. However, Twilight had seemed to notice something about Nightblade and walked closer to him. She was significantly taller than he was, about a foot or two above his head, so she ended up scrutinizing him from above so to speak.

"You look... oddly familiar," she commented. "Yet, I don't ever recall seeing you around here."

"Maybe he happens to look like someone we know?" Starlight suggested.

"Or maybe in an alternate Equestria, he's your twin brother who also travels to an alternate Mobius to help hsi friends out whenever they call upon him, and now he's here because Tails built a dimensional gateway and they accidently ended up in the wrong Equestria!" Pinkie shouted.

"Hey, how'd you know that?" Tails demanded.

"It's a hunch," Pinkie replied with an innocent smile.

"Heh, I've heard that word every time I visited an alternate Equestria," Blade chuckled.

"So... you really are my twin in another Equestria?" Twilight asked him.

"Yep. The name's Nightblade Sparkle, and well... I know all of your names... in my Equestria," He answered.

Twilight smiled. "Then I suppose the only one here who is in need of introduction would be my husband." She gestured towards TD.

"They call me TD, kid," the human announced with a grin. "Short for my old villain name, The Terror of Dimensions. But please, call me TD for convenience's sake."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too!" He smiled, until his eye's widened in realization. "WAIT, HUSBAND?!"

"YOU'RE MARRIED?!" Tails was in just as big a shock. Red seemed to find this humorous, because he roared with laughter.

"Exactly what I expected to hear!" he laughed.

"Guilty as charged," TD admitted, showing no shame. "Though if you must know, she's not the first outside my species; but she's definitely the greatest."

"Well yeah... but I'm thinking of food now 'cause all of this traveling is making me hungry," Blade chuckled.

"Come to think of it, I haven't had anything to eat for the last five hours," Tails pointed out.

"Well then you're in for a delightful treat!" Pinkie said to the two-tailed fox enthusiastically, "Because the party has only just started, and there's plenty for all!"

"Care to join us?" Twilight offered.

"Yes please!" Tails agreed.

"Sure, why not?" Blade remarked.

"Great!" TD exclaimed. "Follow me, you two!"

The gang all followed TD to an area outside the Castle of Friendship where a huge party had been set up. It may have been a bit overkill for the baby Changeling it was meant for, but nonetheless everyone was enjoying themselves. Much of the ponies in the crowd were familiar to Nightblade despite being older, but many more were unfamiliar to him, particularly the other Changelings that had been invited from Pinkie's hive.

"Wow! This party looks awesome already!" Tails exclaimed in awe.

"Yeah..." Blade said sadly. Pinkie seemed to detect this at once, though being a Changeling made it unsurprising.

"What's wrong, Nightblade?" she asked him.

"Oh just... thinking of someone," He said.

"I'm guessing she holds a special place in your heart," Pinkie continued. "Or at least... before."

"Yeah... I know," Blade pulled out his phone and he looked at a picture of Applejack and himself. "I've been her friend for a long time... until I had feelings for her."

"But you are still friends, right?" Pinkie inquired. "Because if you're not, then that doesn't sound at all like the Applejack I know. And I've known several Applejacks."

Blade sighed. "Yes, but the Applejack of my Equestria is the only pony who comforts me when I'm depressed, guilty, or sad."

"Well, chin up big guy!" Pinkie said to him encouragingly. "You'll find the right one someday."

"Hey Pinkie Pie!" Applejack called. "Could ya help me move this baby fountain?"

"Coming!" the Changeling monarch shouted cheerfully, then rushed over to help her move the fountain in question, which apparently was spouting milk.

 _Thanks for making me feel Better Pinkie._

Blade Smiled a bit, until his right eye changed to gold.

 _"So... that went well, right?"_ a dark voice spoke inside Blade's Mind.

 _Yeah, it went well,_ Blade replied to his Dark Self.

"Come on everyone!" TD called. "Sunshine's about to blow out her candle!"

Everyone scrambled to see the cute Changeling baby, who was currently sitting in front of a decent-sized cake with a single candle on top. Behind her was Celestia, grinning widely for the baby Changeling's special day. Nightblade looked at the Changeling baby while his right eye still remained gold. One of Sunshine's eight eyes locked onto him and she gave him a curious expression before smiling and booping him on the nose.

"Aww, that's so cute!" Tails remarked.

"Too cute! I'm gonna die!" Red's voice came from the crowd, where his eyes had turned into big puppy eyes. Everyone just laughed, then cheered for Sunshine as she managed to blow out her candle.

"Well done, my little Sunshine," Celestia said to her daughter as she gave her a big hug. "I knew you could do it."

The Changeling screeched joyously and laughed aloud as she returned her mother's embrace.

Blade smiled. _That's so Adorable._

 _"Yeah, no kidding,"_ his dark half agreed.

For a few minutes afterwards, gifts were given to the Changeling that were appropriate for her age, all of which she squealed to see. It seemed like everything she received was a joyous occasion for her.

"She's quite the cutie," Applejack stated, having come over to Nightblade. "Ah've never seen Celestia so happy before Sunshine came into the picture."

To emphasize what she meant, AJ pointed to the Princess in question, who was tickling the baby while laughing just as hard as the Changeling she tickled. Blade Walked towards the Young Changeling.

"Hello there, young one," he smiled. Sunshine locked all eight eyes on him, then giggled and booped his nose again, to which Celestia couldn't help but chuckle.

"I think she learned a little too much from William," she said aloud.

"What can I say, Tia?" TD called to her. "Booping is contagious."

"And cheeky!" Red remarked, rushing over to Rarity and booping her nose. She immediately growled and chased after him.

"I'm gonna kill you!" she screeched, while Red simply laughed joyously as he dodged about, easily avoiding the unicorn in question. That is, until her horn glowed and he was pulled towards her by her aura.

"No fair, you cheated!" he yelped, before the unicorn in question had pinned him to the ground.

Blade chuckled. "What a Cutie." He smiled.

 _"So... are we gonna give her a gift?"_ his dark version asked.

 _Yeah, but it would take a while to re-create my EOH, I've always brought hope to everyone,_ Blade replied to him.

"Ya talkin' to someone in yer head too?" AJ asked him with a chuckle. "After seeing William do that so many times, it's something Ah can detect a mile away."

"Really?" He asked.

 _"Ooh she's good, but that TD guy has never used a spell that you created a long time ago,"_ his dark half said.

 _You mean The Soul Split Spell?_

 _"Eeyup!"_

"So, what's your story?" she asked him. "Back in your Equestria. From what Ah hear, you're Twilight's twin back there?"

"Yes, of course," He said.

"Ah've often wondered what it'd be like to have a twin," Applejack said to him. She then asked, "So, how many couples have been made there? Ah'm willing to bet that they're cute pairs."

Blade eyes widened and his expression changed.

"I-I haven't got a marefriend or a wife..." He said sadly.

"Oh, Ah'm sorry to hear that sugarcube," she said sincerely. "Ah didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject for ya."

"It's okay..." Blade said. He sighed and told AJ his story. "When I was in my Equestria, before I was a Dimensional guardian, I'd fallen in love with a beautiful mare."

"Oh?" AJ asked. "She sounds like a wonderful pony. What happened?"

Blade breathed slowly and he continued his story. "We'd been dating for months now, and when the time was right I was going to propose to her."

He took out a box and opened the lid and showed a golden bracelet.

"Aww, it's beautiful! Ah think she'd like it very much," Applejack remarked.

Blade closed the lid. "Until that fateful day when I was visiting her home. I looked in through the window... and I saw another stallion propose to her, and she said yes to him... And... it... broke my heart..." Blade looked down and tears started streaming down his face.

"Oh..." Applejack gave him a small hug. "Ah'm sorry to hear that, sugarcube. That must've been harsh."

Blade cried softly.

 _"Blade, I know you're sad but... please, it's in the past,"_ his darker half pleaded. Applejack didn't hear the voice, of course, but she did the best she could to comfort him.

"Ah'm so sorry Blade," she said. "But ya need to let go of it all. It doesn't do well if ya keep dwelling on it. It'll take some time, but eventually you'll feel better again."

Blade wiped his tears.

"A-Alright AJ," He said. The earth pony smiled warmly, then sighed as her smile slowly disappeared.

"Sometimes, Ah wish Ah had a special somepony too." She looked over at her friends and a wistful sigh escaped her. "But Ah've never found anypony who seemed to catch my eye."

"Yeah..." He managed.

"Hey, careful Tails!" Red called, causing them to look over at the two-tailed fox, who was just in the act of setting a small filly down. Apparently, he had shown off his flying capabilities to her and had even offered her a short ride.

"That was so cool!" the filly exclaimed excitedly. "You're the best, Tails!"

"Ah, shucks," he said with a small blush. "It's nothing."

Blade looked over at Tails.

"Tails, make sure you don't scratch The Hovercycle. I just buffed it this morning," he said.

"Oh come on, let the kid have his fun," Red scolded. "He deserves it."

He then noticed someone in the crowd and seemed to be overjoyed as two other ponies approached. One was a green and blue striped pegasus stallion with purple dragon eyes, the other a blonde unicorn mare.

"Uncle Red!" they both exclaimed and gave him a big hug.

"Hey! Zach! Diana!" the hedgehog greeted. "Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me."

Both of them giggled at his remark.

"Yeah, we missed you, ya airhead," the pegasus, Zach, told him with a playful smile.

"Say Red, who's the two young Fillies?" Blade asked.

"Oh!" Red released them and showed them out. "Nightblade, these are my niece and nephew respectively, Diana and Zachary Sparkle. Guys, Nightblade Sparkle."

"He has the same last name?" Diana seemed to like that detail.

"He's Mom's twin from another Equestria," Zach explained to her, seeming to read that detail from Nightblade just by looking at him.

"Well Diana, Zachary, nice to meet you," Nightblade smiled.

 _"Uh... on a scale of one to ten how do we rate their cuteness?"_ his dark Half asked.

 _Over a thousand,_ Blade answered.

"Nice to see you too," Diana replied. Her eyes seemed to momentarily be filled with mini hearts, making her seem all the more adorable despite her age. Zach simply nodded for the time being, his purple eyes glowing slightly.

"What brings you here to our humble abode?" he asked Nightblade, with a mock seriousness. Clearly, he was a bit of a mischievous one.

"Well... just three hours ago, Tails created a dimensional portal but... He need my magic to power it up, and it took half of my magic," He explained.

"That would explain a lot," Zach muttered, then added, "What you should've done is manipulated a teleportation spell into the machine as a means of powering it without giving any specific destination to the spell. It would've taken longer to power up, of course, but it also would've cost less energy."

Blade thought about this for a minute, then face hooved.

"Sweet Mother of Creations, why didn't I think of that?" he muttered.

"I wouldn't beat yourself too much about it," the pegasus reassured him. "It's not too common knowledge. I only learned about it through Dad."

"Still, it sounds like you went through a lot of effort to get here," Diana said softly.

"Yes but my magic is... unique and it's given to me," he replied.

"I'm guessing that our world wasn't your target though," Zach noted. "You were trying to get to your own Equestria, weren't you?"

"Well.. Yeah..." he answered slowly.

 _"DESPACITO BABY!"_ his Dark counterpart yelled inside.

"And I'm guessing that was for your friend's amusement?" Zach added, looking over at Tails as he spoke.

"Of course, but I'll get payback!" He remarked. This made Zach and Diana burst into laughter.

"Revenge is so sweet, is it not?" Red's voice asked Nightblade with a playful tone. Blade's eyes shifted to gold.

"Shut your bloody mouth, ya Wanker!" he said in a British accent, then his eyes shifted to his usual purple.

"Dark side, huh?" Red seemed amused. "Haven't seen that around for awhile," he added sarcastically.

"Alright, very funny ya pincushion," Applejack stated, making the hedgehog back out of the conversation now. "Ah think ya should try out the fountain again."

"What? And do tricks like a clown?" Red asked her.

"Well, ya act like one. Shouldn't be too hard," was the reply. Red didn't seem to know how to counter that, so he simply chose to leave on that note.

"Yeah, my Dark counterpart is uh... how do I say it... Oh yeah! An absolute retard," Blade said boldly.

"Aw... That was hurtful, but with some reason behind it," A voice could be heard nearby.

"Eh? Who said that?" Applejack inquired.

"Don't look at me," Zach stated. Diana just shrugged.

"Well, looks like you have to reveal yourself, Soul" Blade said. A dark smoke surrounded Blade and then moved next to Blade and formed into a Pony. "Everyone, this is SoulBlade DarkSpark, my dark counterpart and the retard that I told you."

"Oh, hello... I guess," Applejack greeted.

"I hope he's on our side," Diana muttered to her brother.

"Even if he isn't, I doubt he'd get far," Zach answered. Soul threw a cream pie on Blade upon finishing.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!"

He tried to run until Blade hit Soul in the back.

"Shut Up." He looked at the others. "Again, he's a Retard."

"I figured," Zach chuckled, then spoke slowly. "We mean you no harm..."

"Oh, stop it!" Diana scolded him. Soul got to his feet.

"Well that's a pain," He Muttered. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna take a nap..."

Soul Plopped down to the ground and he was already asleep in seconds.

"Well that does nothing. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to give a present to the Birthday Girl."

Blade walked towards the Changeling filly as he finished. Sunshine gurgled gleefully when she noticed Nightblade approach, even stretching one of her mismatched hooves out towards him. Celestia noticed this and chuckled.

"I think my little Sunshine is already growing fond of you," she noted.

Blade smiled. "It seems so."

Sunshine giggled and then looked to him with wonder, her eight eyes filled with curiosity about this stranger she was liking already.

"Hello Sunshine I'm Nightblade," the alicorn said to her. "I know you're a cute little filly and I think I shall give you a little present."

At the word "present", the little Changeling's eyes seemed to get bigger and she now watched Nightblade with a growing interest. Blade take a step back and his horn began to glow and his eyes turned white. His wings flared up and a beacon of light engulfed him.

"CREATION RESTORE!"

Then the bright light settled and showed Blade's Element of Harmony. Sunshine watched the entire spectacle with awe, then clapped her tiny hooves together as if to say, "Again! Again!"

Blade sat down. "Sorry young one, but it took a bit of my creation magic." He levitated his Element and gave it to Celestia. "This is the Element of Hope; as you can guess, my Element is no longer bound to me and so I have to give it to your Daughter."

Celestia nodded. "It is a beautiful gift. Thank you."

Sunshine concurred by clapping her hooves again and giving him the closest to a thankful smile as a baby can give.

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"Hey Nightblade! Wanna play a game of Truth or Dare?" Red called out.

"Please don't," TD answered him with a glare. "There's a reason I don't host or participate in that game."

Blade sighed. "Alright, I'll play along," He muttered. Soul jolted awake upon hearing this, wearing a Demoman costume from TF2 and talking gibberish. (In all honesty, I have no idea what reference is being shown here; ask Nightblade Sparkle about it in PM if you're curious.)

"Any of you that think ye're better 'n me, you're gon' have another thing c-..." Soul slurred.

"Soul, not in front of the kids," TD chided, taking on the form of Timon from The Lion King.

"Huh... oh... yeah. Sorry," he apologized.

"Oh, I haven't played Truth or Dare for a long time!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, having decided to join in on the conversation. "So who's in?"

"I'm out!" TD remarked. "I've had one too many accidents occur!"

"I asked who was in, not who was out," the rainbow pegasus stated with a glare.

"I'm gonna eat some cake," Soul remarked.

"Soul, you're addicted to cake! Just like somepony else I know." Blade pointed at Celestia, who was currently eating a slice as he spoke.

"I don't care," Soul muttered.

"Spin the bottle! Spin the bottle!" Pinkie shouted gleefully as she bounced up and down.

"Alright, hold your horses. No offense intended," TD sighed, causing a bottle to appear out of nowhere and placing it down in the midst of a circle of ponies.

"I'll spin."

Blade started to spin the bottle. The bottle spun around for a few moments, then landed on Pinkie Pie.

"Ooh! I call truth! Since you're new here, why don't you ask me something, Blade?" Pinkie asked.

"Ookay... Um... Have you ever created a 'Most Delicious Treat' that you ever made?" He asked.

"Blade can be 'nervous' when he does Truth or Dare," Soul explained.

Pinkie gasped. "Have I? Lemme ask you, have you ever had a Cherrychonga before?"

"And that's your answer," Zach chuckled. He then spun the bottle himself, and it slowly turned towards Nightblade.

"Truth or dare?" Rainbow Dash asked him with a mischievous grin.

"Well, truth I guess," He said.

"Yea, this'll be Good" Soul muttered as he ate his cake.

Rainbow gave him a cheeky smile.

"Have you ever kissed a mare before?" she asked.

"Oh sweet Celestia," Applejack deadpanned.

"How did I know that's what you'd say first?" Zach muttered. Blade eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No, I don't..." He lowered his head.

"Oh dear..." Soul muttered.

"Now that's a bit too far, don't ya think?" Applejack remarked with a glare at Rainbow Dash.

"But he has to answer now!" Pinkie shouted.

Red sighed and gave the alicorn a sympathetic look.

"It's alright buddy," he said. "I know how ya feel. You can drop out if ya want."

"And you guys wonder why I don't participate," TD called to them.

"No... A truth is a truth... Yes, I did kiss a mare before," Blade answered.

"Who was it?" Rainbow questioned.

"You had your chance! My turn!" Red interrupted, spinning the bottle. It landed, ironically, on the hedgehog himself. "Oh boy..."

"Truth or dare?" Pinkie asked.

"Dare. Might as well," Red said with a shrug. "I doubt there's much you can do to me with that."

"Nightblade, ya wanna do the honors?" Applejack asked him.

He smiled. "I dare you to... handstand on a tub of pudding. You can't stop until it's your turn."

Soul laughed hysterically and dropped his cake.

"Challenge accepted," Red answered with a smirk. A pudding tub was set up for him and the hedgehog easily performed a handstand on it. And just for show, he even did it with one hand, not showing any effort the whole time.

"Red, you're just about the biggest showoff Ah've ever seen!" Applejack laughed. She then noticed it was her turn and spun the bottle. It hit Pinkie Pie.

"Truth! Truth! Truth!" Pinkie shouted before anyone could ask.

"How is it like to be royalty, Pinkie?" Blade asked while Soul looked at his cake.

"Aw Great," He muttered.

"Well, it's not as cool as I thought it was, but it's not bad either!" Pinkie explained. "And among Changelings, I mostly see it as me being the mother of many, many children."

"Isn't that technically what you are already? Because of the fact that all Changelings are born- sorry, hatched from the same monarch?" Red inquired.

"Hmm... Fair point!" the Changeling monarch exclaimed.

"Guess it's my turn now," Rainbow Dash noted, spinning the bottle. It turned to Applejack.

"Truth or dare, AJ?"

"Ah think Ah'll play it safe and go with truth," she replied.

"Eh.. I'll let you guys do it," Nightblade said.

 _Blade you're gonna regret it,_ Soul thought to himself.

"Why haven't you tried dating yet AJ?" Rainbow asked her. "At least tried?"

"Wrong question, because she already answered that one a while ago, Dash," Red remarked.

"Oh right. Okay, different question. Have you found anypony yet that you like?"

Applejack sighed. "Not really. There were a few, but Ah stopped tryin' with them after only a few days. They just didn't seem to... what's the word?"

"Click?" Red asked. "I know how that feels. Took me WAY too long to find anyone who clicked for me."

"And in the end, you get the Siren," Zach giggled.

"Wait... oh... Okay, I'll spin." Blade spun the bottle and it pointed at himself. "Great..." He muttered.

"Truth or dare?" the group said all at once, although Red added the word, "Mate!" at the end of his.

"I'll regret this... Dare..." He grunted.

"I'll give ya one," Red said with a cheeky smile, which looked silly in his upside down condition. "I dare you to kiss one of the mares present. And note that I didn't specify where to kiss them, so use that to your advantage if you desire."

The mares in the group all looked to him with wide eyes.

"Red, you traitor!" Dash shouted. Pinkie giggled and Applejack just blushed furiously.

"Called it," Zach stated.

"U-um... okay..." he muttered. "Okay... I'm just gonna..."

Soul ate his cake in silence as he watched.

"If ya don't choose, I'll choose for ya!" the hedgehog replied cheekily. "Going once! Going twice! Going... going..."

"ALRIGHT I'LL DO IT!" He Got up and he walked up to Applejack.

"All children in the audience, cover your eyes," Zach muttered.

"Remember, I didn't say ya had to do it on the lips!" Red reminded them.

"Spoil sport!" Dash growled.

"Sneaky move, Red," Pinkie congratulated.

"Uh, ya sure about this?" Applejack asked Nightblade, blushing a bit. "Ah mean, ya don't have ta- that is, Ah don't wanna ruin-"

"I know, but... a dare is a dare," Blade said and he kissed Applejack. Then he returned to his spot, blushing.

 _Whew! Good thing he kissed on the cheek or... somewhere... I dunno,_ Soul thought.

"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Zach remarked.

"Why do you think I gave him an option?" Red asked. "I'm not a heartless monster."

"No, but ya are too cheeky for yer own good," Applejack stated.

"Fair enough," the hedgehog remarked. The bottle was spun again, this time by Pinkie and it hit Red again, who used it as an excuse to get off his pudding tub.

"Truth or dare?" Pinkie asked.

"Truth, and anyone may ask," Red remarked. "The majority of you here already know about me."

Blade was still unfazed and didn't say anything.

"Ah know one we haven't used on ya," Applejack said to the hedgehog. "Why did ya help Sonata? Or more importantly, what was it that compelled ya to reform her?"

Red smiled. "She was conflicted. She didn't want to follow through with the plan she was forced to be a part of, but at the same time she didn't want to essentially betray her siblings."

The group was quiet and nodded solemnly.

"Let's give Nightblade one more spin before we wrap this up," Red suggested. Blade spun the bottle and the bottle hit Zachary.

"Okay, Truth or Dare?" Blade asked.

"Well, I feel like it would be unfair to ask me to do a dare, for obvious reasons, so truth," Zach replied. Blade remained silent and he looked away.

"Something bothering you, man?" Zach asked him.

"Nothing's bothering me Zachary, just thinking of an old friend," he answered.

"Oh... Well, why don't you ask me something? It's your turn to do it anyways," he said gently.

"Make it a good one," Red whispered loudly.

"Ya know we all can hear ya, right?" Applejack asked him.

"Shh! I don't know that," Red replied in the same whisper, earning a few glances.

"Here it goes... Zachary, do you have any free time to travel all over Equestria?" He asked.

"It's just Zach," the pegasus answered sheepishly at first. "And yes, I do. Though, nowadays I tend to spend that travel time with my marefriend... unless it's an emergency or if she's not around."

He blushed a bit as Pinkie gave him a knowing smile.

"Knock it off, Aunt Pinkie!" he exclaimed with a short giggle.

"I'm your aunt through friendship with your mother, and your potential mother-in-law," Pinkie teased. "It's my job to embarrass you about dating my daughter."

Blade chuckled a bit.

"What do you think I do to Cold Winter? Let him off the hook around Serena 24/7? Not a chance," Red stated. "I'm too cheeky for that."

"But then again, you usually don't see a Windago dating a Siren," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Okay, everyone, can you listen to me please?" Blade asked. They all looked to him.

"Sure. What's up?" Red inquired. Blade Summoned a blue orb in front of him.

"This is the Orb of Memories. This orb can review your most precious memories, and your greatest adventures," he explained.

"Cool! So, why bring it out if I may ask?" Dash asked.

"Well, I like to look at my memories from meeting new friends from every universe, to becoming a Dimensional Guardian."

He patted his orb and accidentally activated it. A projection popped up and showed Blade in his Mobian form, dancing the Star power emote from Fortnite.

"My dad's brother hates that game," Zach muttered. Rainbow Dash started laughing, and Red and Pinkie joined in with her, while Applejack just sighed and glared at them.

"Ehehehe..." Blade sheepishly chuckled and blushed a bit.

"Okay, we get. Not everyone likes Fortnite," Zach stated to the laughing trio, before turning back to Nightblade. "What did you want to show us?"

Blade touched the orb to change the memory.

"I'll show you one of my greatest adventures," he said. Everyone was silent as they all peered into the orb intently, although Red made it look like his mind had been sucked away from his body and therefore looked slightly unsettling... until Applejack smacked him across the head and made him quit the act. A minute passed, and the projector changed, showing Nightblade and Sonic fighting against Dark Solaris.

"Whoa!" the majority of them exclaimed.

"Forgot how scary he can seem sometimes," Red remarked.

"Yes, but in my universe, Solaris is a good Mobian Wolf but... he's been succumbed by power and darkness and he became... that," Nightblade explained.

"Well, at least that's better than being the alternate version of the mercenary that took down Sonic," Red muttered. "That one took a bit longer for people to process."

As they watched, Sonic used the Chaos Emeralds to transformed into his super state, while Blade used his Element of Hope to change into his alicorn form.

"Wait, did your sister even know about any of this?" Red demanded, earning another glare from his friends.

"well... no..." Blade answered.

"Why not? You're family! You don't keep secrets from family!" Red shouted.

"Says the guy who kept a deep and dark secret from his 'family' for quite a while," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"I didn't see them in that light at the time, Dash. That doesn't count," the hedgehog countered.

Blade sighed. "You didn't let me finish. After that event, I told her about my... Element, and well... she asked me alot of questions about my Element," he explained.

"So she does know," Red stated.

"And she's fine with it?" Zach asked.

"Have ya ever known Twi to get in the way of one's duty?" Applejack remarked.

"Only when it's a bad duty," Pinkie noted. "Or when it's something really important."

"Maybe... but after a long string of questions, she zapped me in the head for not telling her." Blade rubbed his head.

"That sounds just like Mom," Zach giggled.

"I'd say I have a mark to prove that she gets that mad, but my healing factor says otherwise," Red stated.

"Well, let's change the memory..." He touched the orb again. The image flashed to show Red in a cafeteria of some kind, staring at three figures that had walked in. The Equestrians quickly recognized them as the Dazzlings given their descriptions. Of the three, the image of Red in the orb seemed interested in the one known as Sonata. Red smiled.

"First time we met," he mused. "Ah, that was a good day. Almost caused a fight."

"I see... well anyone else want to try?" Blade asked.

"Eh... I'll do it," Soul volunteered and touched the orb. The Projector changed and they saw Soul wearing a military uutfit and holding two pies in each hand and yelling "PIE WAR!" before throwing cream pies at several people in the background.

"Heh, I love that memory," he chuckled.

"May I try?" Pinkie asked, looking very curious now, her Changeling eyes blinking a few times as she spoke.

"Sure," Blade said. Pinkie looked into the orb, as the projector showed a scene where a large Changeling monarch was standing over a small Changeling larva, smiling at it with a look of love. The Equestrians, especially Pinkie Pie, gasped when they recognized it as Pinkie's Changeling mother. The Changeling Queen lifted the larva up with her magic and gave it a motherly nuzzling, to which the larva giggled happily.

"Aw..." Pinkie said with a tearful voice. "I almost forgot about this one..."

Blade tilted his head. "That's so sweet..." He smiled. "Okay who's next?"

"I'll pass," Rainbow Dash said. "No offense, but I've seen enough mind-peering things to last a while."

"I'll take a shot," a quiet voice said as Diana walked over to them.

"Okay Diana, put your hoof to the orb and it'll do it's job," Blade explained to Diana. The unicorn nodded and did as told. The projector brought up one that was familiar to both her and her brother. She was a baby, surrounded by a thick fog where only glowing evil eyes and a chorus of whispered voices could be distinguished. She was crying for her parents, whom she hadn't realized had died some ways away from her by the Fog Lurkers that were all around her. As the image played on, a pair of glowing purple dragon eyes appeared and a younger Zach, about five years old, walked over to her. She noticed him and wondered if she should be afraid, until his wings glowed and he gave her a smile. The foal's fear faded and she hugged his leg before he teleported them out of the fog. Back in reality, Diana smiled with a tear streaming down her cheek.

"The day you found me," she said to Zach softly. He smiled and hugged her.

"Yeah... I'll never forget that day, baby sis," he replied. Blade looked at the siblings and he smiled.

"Alright, one more and we're done," he said as he touched the orb. The projection this time showed an image of Nightblade and AJ.

 _Oh no... not this one,_ Soul thought.

"What's this one?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Is that... me?" Applejack was surprised.

"Huh. This should be interesting," Red commented.

"Quiet. This may be a sensitive one..." Zach ordered. Diana was silent, but was watching with interest. Blade looked at the projector as the scene played.

 _Blade and AJ walked to the meadow on Sweet Apple Acres and they sat on a hill. They had a bit of conversation, and after an hour Blade told AJ that he loved her. This made AJ happy and they kissed before the images shifted..._

Soul looked at the Projector while eating popcorn; the Projector fast forwarded to 5 months later.

 _Blade Came to AJ's Home holding a box that contained the Golden Bracelet. When he arrived, he knocked on the door, but no one answered._

 _Oh no..._ Soul thought.

 _He waited for a minute, then he looked through the window and he saw AJ and the adult version of Spike. The dragon was holding a wedding ring in his claw. Blade was shocked and heartbroken. He turned around and walked away with tears falling down his cheeks..._

The Projector closed, and the orb stopped glowing before it disappeared. Blade looked down and tears started streaming down his face.

"Oh my..." Rainbow Dash didn't even have the words to speak.

"You poor thing!" Pinkie remarked.

"That... sucks," Red stated. "That was just downright terrible."

"I'm very sorry, Nightblade," Diana said with sympathy as she put her hoof on his shoulder. Applejack was silent, but she was just as shocked and saddened as the rest of them.

"Let it out Blade... Let it out..." Soul patted Blade's shoulder gently. Finally, Applejack spoke.

"Ah- ah'm so sorry," she managed. "Ah don't know what to say..." Her head bowed and she wore a solemn expression. "That must've been a terrible experience ya had to go through."

"It hurts so much..." He murmured. Red came over and gave him a sympathetic look too.

"I know how you feel man," he said. "I once had my heart broken too. And it's not easy to get over, but if you want my advice you need to give it time. Eating something right now might help as well, but that's your decision."

"Okay..." Blade answered.

"Here you go Blade," Soul took out a tissue box from a bag and gave it to Blade.

"Gosh darn it!" TD suddenly called over to them, his eyes filled with tears. "There goes the waterworks again. It's too emotional."

Blade wipe his tears and he looked at AJ.

"So... What now dude?" Soul asked.

"He moves on," Red said bluntly. "Sorry if it sounds blunt- ow!"

He got smacked by Pinkie Pie.

"That was for last time," she stated.

"Eh... I deserved that," he muttered. Blade look at AJ and he closed his eyes.

 _Just like the Applejack in my universe; comforted me, and helped me._

He Smiled a bit and he walked towards AJ.

"Oh my... he's gonna do it..." Soul opened up a soda can.

"If this turns out into what I think it is, I'm going to laugh my head off!" Red exclaimed, already chuckling.

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" Pinkie chanted, earning glances at her. "What? I'm a Changeling. To me, any moment like this is one I like to see."

"Uh... what are ya doing?" Applejack asked Blade.

"Thank you for helping me when i'm down in the dumps today," He said.

Soul groaned. "Aww... the moment is gone!" he complained as he drank his soda.

"Oh... you're welcome," she replied with a smile.

"Oh come on!" Red shouted. "Where's the fluff?"

The response was Pinkie smacking him hard with her mismatched hoof, then smiling as she watched the two of them.

"Well," Blade turned and look at His two-tailed friend nearby. "Tails, I think you and Soul have to go without me."

"What! Why?" Soul demanded, Tails looking just as surprised.

"The portal will be closing soon and I have to explore Equestria" he replied.

"Wait you mean that... you're retired from being a Dimensional Guardian?" Soul asked. Blade nodded.

"Soul you've learned everything about being a Dimensional Guardian, and that's why I vowed you to be the new Dimensional Guardian." He smiled.

"You mean... you're staying here?" Pinkie asked, then got very excited. "I've got to make you a welcome party!"

She took off in an instant, causing those nearby to laugh.

"That's Pinkie Pie for you," Red managed between laughs.

Blade chuckled. "Yeah I've met every Pinkie in every Equestria... Except the Creepypasta version of Pinkie." He Shuddered.

"OH HELL NO! NOT THE CREEPYSPAGHETTI PINKIE!" Soul yelled.

"Yeah... and I don't want to go there," he muttered.

"I can understand why. Exe was bad enough, but to make her evil too?" Red shuddered.

"Yeah, even I have to restore Equestria from the Caribou," Blade stated. Soul was reading a book labeled, 'Fall of Equestria'.

"Yeah... Blade also made a Organization of all the races to defeat the Dark Dictator King Dainn... Good thing The EDI take action to slay the false king once and for all," he said.

Applejack chuckled. "There's always another problem in another Equestria..."

Tails walked over to Nightblade, looking a bit sad.

"Well, if this is goodbye... then I'd just wanna say... I've always seen you as a second brother to me," he managed.

"And you're always a Little Brother in my book." He patted on Tail's head, while Soul hopped on Blade's Hovercycle.

"Until we meet again, Blade," Soul said to him. Blade nodded. Tails revved up his engine and together he and Soul took off with the others waving goodbye as they went.

"What happened to just running?" Red asked playfully. "Everything needs a battery these days."

"Yeah, but The Hovercycles have endless amount of power, thanks to the combination of Creation Magic and the power of the Chaos Emeralds," Blade said.

"Well, I can run forever thanks to not having lungs, so no thank you," the hedgehog remarked.

"Alright, we get it. You don't use those because you're so much better in every way," TD stated sarcastically.

"Not cool, marshmallow," Red muttered.

Blade chuckled. "So... where would I stay?" he asked.

"We... have a few areas that are available," Zach suggested. "Though I would warn you not to go to Canterlot for housing. It's getting packed there thanks to Sunshine. Not that I hate her, but I can't help but feel that most ponies are living there just to see a baby Changeling."

Diana giggled.

"Yeah!" Red agreed. "Yeah! That pretty much sums it up."

"Hmm... let me think..." Blade mused. He sat down and started thinking of something.

"How about that village near Thorax's hive?" Pinkie suggested. "I hear it's rather nice this time of year."

Blade smirked. "Hmm, that'd be fine, but... I've finally made a decision."

"Oh... what's that?" Applejack asked.

"If it's my place..." TD started teasingly.

"No... I mean a place that me, Twilight, and Spike lived in before it was destroyed," Blade explained.

"The library? That's been gone for more than forty years since Lord Tirek," TD stated. "But, we do have another library inside the Castle of Friendship, if that counts."

"Not if my Creation Magic restores it back to its former glory," the alicorn explained. "Creation Magic isn't only to create various objects, but it can restore everything that has been lost, including the Golden Oaks Library."

Twilight heard this and she got an excited look of nostalgia.

"Oh, would you?" she practically pleaded. "I haven't seen that place as anything but a burned-out stump for the longest of times!"

The alicorn smiled. "Yes, of course."

"Wait, why didn't you ever try that TD?" Rainbow Dash asked the human.

"Chaos destroys, Dash. It's hard to manipulate into anything else but destruction and weirdness," TD explained. "If you can restore that place Nighblade, then you'd have my gratitude and thanks."

"Alright then, shall we?" Blade asked.

"Lead the way, man," TD replied with a thumbs up gesture. Blade led the others to the area where the library was. For whatever reason, Tirek's stolen magic had prevented the tree from growing back even after all these years, so it still looked as fresh as it had been when he first destroyed it. Twilight couldn't help but feel a bit sad at the memories it held in her mind. Blade looked at the flat area.

"Hmm... Some of the library's magic is still there," He said.

"So you can fix it?" Twilight inquired.

"How can you tell?" Rainbow Dash asked, then changed her mind when TD gave her a look. "Uh, don't answer that one."

"Yes, but it'll take a while to fully charge my power," Blade said.

"Take your time, buddy. And if you start to faint, give me a heads up warning," TD replied. Blade nodded as he used his Creation Magic.

"Ex Legenda Spei praeteriens ad Magistros Creations Vetus Restituo hoc loco suo surge et gloria, RESTITUTIO ABSOLUTUS."

His eye's glowed white and a huge beam of magic struck the area. Everyone watched in amazement as the library slowly was restored to its former glory, as if it had never been destroyed in the first place. Twilight was unable to contain her excitement and she let out a premature-sounding squeal of joy. TD laughed at the sight.

"This is one of the reasons why I love the show," he commented. Blade Kept Going and he focused hard.

"Agh... Just a bit more," he grunted.

"Here, this should help," TD said, causing some magical energy to flow into Nightblade and refresh him.

"Thanks..." he thanked TD and after a few minutes, he finally restored the tree. Blade fell down and he breathed slowly. "That... should... do... it..." he huffed. TD lifted him off the ground a bit as Twilight squealed again and rushed over to the library, examining it with glee.

"Heh, it's great to see the library again," he smiled.

"Too true. I think you made Twilight lose her mind on anything else," TD joked.

Blade chuckled. "I think I've made her too excited."

"Well, to be fair, if you were in her shoes with no way in your power to bring it back, you'd probably act the same way," TD replied. At last, after doing several in-and-out inspections, Twilight came back to Nightblade and crushed him with a big bear hug.

"This is something I had only dreamed about, and you made it come true!" she said to him, practically crying with happiness. "Thank you!"

"Y-You're welcome... Air... please..." he gasped.

"Oh, sorry!" Twilight released him with a sheepish smile. Blade breathed in and out, then he got up.

"It's okay," he smiled.

"Wow! I think I'm liking the new guy already!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Yeehaw!" Applejack called out. "It's looking prettier than a first-prize sow at the county fair!"

"Heh... thanks," he managed.

"So, I'm assuming that's your residence now?" TD asked him with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yep!" Blade answered, "Anyone can visit anytime!"

"That's a relief," Rarity stated. "I'd hate to have to pay for entry 24/7."

"This isn't Walmart, Rare," TD remarked.

"Shh! I'm getting flashbacks..." Twilight shushed him, still staring at the library.

"Take your time, Twi Twi," the male alicorn said.

"Twi Twi?" Applejack looked curious. "Is that what ya call her back in your Equestria?"

"Sounds fitting for a brother/sister thing. Kinda like how Shining calls her Twily," TD commented, then chuckled. "I remember making fun of her for that name for so long!"

"Yes, I called her that when we were both young." Blade smiled at the memory.

"Aha..." TD mentioned. At last, Twilight finally snapped out of her trance-like state and sighed.

"I think I'm done now," she said. "It's good to have the library back. Almost makes me want to move back into it. Almost."

"Well... Maybe you can spend one night here if you want," Blade suggested.

"Yes! Yesyesyesyes!" Twilight squealed, then calmed down and added sheepishly, "I mean... sure. Sounds cool."

"Uh, can I try it out too? I was only around after it was destroyed," TD stated. "Unless you count that time paradox thing that happened about twenty years back."

"Sure, why not?" Blade smiled. "In fact, I think all of you should stay for the night."

"But won't it be too crowded?" Fluttershy asked. "We don't wish to be a bother."

"It won't be crowded very soon," TD replied with a smirk. Fluttershy then realized what he meant.

"Oh... right. Bigger-on-the-inside thing. Just like what Discord did to our place," she giggled.

"Yosh! This will be The Party of a Lifetime!" Blade shouted.

"Yosh?" Twilight asked, then laughed. "That'll do it!"

"Just be glad Screwball's not around yet, or else Matchmaker would be played," TD chuckled, then he walked over to the door of the library and opened it up. He snapped his fingers a few times, then sighed in satisfaction.

"On that note, Tia should be headed to Canterlot right now to lower the sun," he stated aloud. In the distance, right when he spoke, the white alicorn's form was seen flying off towards the city in question.

"Called it!"

Blade chuckled. "Heh... Wait... where's Pinkie?" He looked around. "We can't start until we have everyone here," he added.

"I'm here! I'm here!" she called, suddenly appearing from _inside_ the library. "I could never miss out on a super duper slumber party!"

"That's aunt Pinkie Pie," Zach giggled. "Well, have fun you guys!"

"You're not coming with us?" his mother asked.

"Nah, Diana and I have something else planned for the evening," he explained. "I think she wanted it to be something like a double-date with our marefriend and coltfriend, respectively, but I'm not too sure. She didn't give me all the details."

"Well alright then. See you two later!" Blade said to them. Zach gave him a wave, then he and Diana left them standing in front of the doors.

"Alright, who's up for getting their special PJ's out for the occasion?" TD asked playfully. Everyone laughed.

 _Heh, this will be the best night ever,_ Blade thought to himself.

* * *

Blade went to the balcony of the library late that night, unable to sleep. That night had been a real blowout of a slumber party, thanks to the efforts of both Pinkie Pie and TD. Needless to say, the extreme partying had caused most of the others to fall asleep out of exhaustion for the night, but Nightblade was still awake for the time being.

"Ya can't sleep either, huh?" Applejack's voice suddenly asked from behind him. Turning around, he saw that she didn't have her hat on this time around, and she was trotting over to him quietly. The night sky coupled with the moon made her look like a kind of natural beauty to behold, something TD had complimented her on once when she had insisted she wasn't that pretty.

"Yeah..." Blade looked up at the stars. "I love looking at the stars," he said.

"Well... mind if Ah join ya?" the country pony asked politely. "Ah tend to enjoy a little stargazin' myself, and Ah don't think Ah'll be goin' to sleep anytime soon."

"Of course," Blade answered. Applejack nodded and sat down next to him with just enough distance between them. For a while, they were silent, then she spoke.

"Hey, Ah want to apologize again for... that memory you showed us," she said. "Ah'm sorry ya had to go through that and... well, Ah know it may not have been me personally who hurt ya... but Ah guess Ah'm apologizin' for the alternate me. So... Ah apologize, Nightblade Sparkle."

Blade sighed. "Apology accepted... I think I can forgive her and move on, and I feel a bit better."

Applejack smiled. "Glad to hear that, sugarcube." She then looked up at the sky again. "So, how long do ya plan to stay? Ah was thinkin' on introducing ya to Applebloom here in this Equestria. And Granny... if she can even hear ya anymore." She chuckled. "How she's still alive is baffling to everypony here. Some are startin' to think she's immortal."

"I'll be here, as long as everyone in my universe calls me with this..." He held a white orb. "This orb can send or review any messages if there's any trouble in my universe," he explained, and he put back the orb where it belonged.

"Gotcha..." she nodded. "Well, Ah hope you'll enjoy your stay. More friends are definitely merrier, as Twi would put it."

She sighed as she looked out at the moon, a hint of sadness in her tone.

"What's wrong?" Blade asked. Applejack turned to him.

"Ah guess... in a way, Ah'm a bit envious of the others," she admitted. "They all have somepony special in their lives, but Ah'm still a loner. The foals at the orphanage always seem to see me as a second mother, but... Ah still feel a bit lonely." She hung her head down in sadness. "But nopony has ever caught my eye nor has there been a lot of other ponies who are willing to go out with me. Especially after hearin' about the Element Ah bear... and no, it's not an Element of Harmony. It's something else." She looked over at Nightblade. "Ah was chosen to wield an Element of Time, particularity the Element of Death."

"Oh... I see," Blade said, then he looked back at the Stars. "When I First Saw you in this world, it gave me a second chance to find love again."

"Oh... uh, you're welcome Ah guess," she replied, blushing a little at the comment. Blade kept looking at the stars and he hummed a tune.

"Whatcha humming? Sounds like a nice song," AJ noted.

"Meteor Shower. It's a good song and it feels more calm," he said.

Apparently even life itself has a way of using irony or cheekiness, because at that moment a few shooting stars passed by in the sky, almost like a small parade or show. Applejack was amazed.

"Wow... Ah remember seeing something like this only once before," she whispered. "It never gets any less beautiful."

"Yeah... The night can be wonderful and full of mysteries," Blade agreed. Applejack felt a yawn escape her and she stretched.

"Ah feel pooped," she muttered, then looked back at Nightblade. "Ya think you'll be turnin' in soon as well?"

"Well, yeah..." he yawned. Applejack gave him a warm smile.

"Well, goodnight then, Nightblade," she said and trotted back inside, presumably to her sleeping bag or whatever it was she was sleeping on or in. Blade looked at the stars, and soon he fell asleep on the balcony.

* * *

 **That's a wrap! Big thanks to _Nightblade Sparkle_ for your help and submission in this chapter!**

 **Cya guys in the next one! Hopefully...**


	46. Old Friends

**I know I've done quite a bit with _Darkstalker728_ , but this time it's to say hello to some old friends.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Diana sat at the train station alongside her coltfriend Thermidor as they waited to see who may be coming over to Ponyville. They had heard that some arrivals were expected from the Crystal Empire and wanted to see who it could possibly be. The deaf unicorn mare and the blind hippogriff were an admittedly odd sight to see at the station, but with the one being TD's adopted daughter and the other's kingdom being an ally of the ponies who worked alongside TD, it was at the same time not surprising. By now, most ponies in Equestria were used to weird stuff, especially in Ponyville.

"I wonder who's coming over," Diana said aloud. "If it's from the Crystal Empire, it's always an excitement."

"Didn't you say you have a cousin there?" Thermidor asked her.

"Oh, that'd be Flurry Heart, the daughter of Princess Cadence," she explained. Thermidor shook his head in amusement.

"You have quite the family," he remarked. "I'd say you're quite a lucky mare."

 **Meanwhile on the train...**

Crystal Shard sat in the seat of the train, looking out the window. Beside her in her seat was her saddlebags, filled with some of the books she always carried with her, most of them involving spells that revolved around ice and cold. The unicorn turned to look at the pony beside her, who was an earth pony that was a baby-blue color with a black mane and brown eyes.

"Do you think they'll even recognize us?" She asked, her blue eyes twinkling slightly. "I mean, it has been a pretty long time since we last saw them."

"They'll remember us," the earth pony reassured her. "Or at least Princess Twilight will."

"If you say so," Crystal said, turning to look out the window of the train again.

 **3rd PV...**

As they neared the station, they noticed a blonde unicorn with a pink mane and a blue hippogriff sitting at the station as if waiting for someone. They could tell immediately that the hippogriff was blind given how his eyes were grayed over.

"Hmm, there's something you don't see everyday," he commented as the train stopped. Crystal nodded, using her magic to levitate her saddlebags up onto her back.

"You're right, it isn't," She agreed. They stepped out onto the platform and looked to the odd couple as they approached them.

"You're the visitors from the Crystal Empire, right?" the unicorn asked. Her blue eyes seemed to occasionally show miniature hearts in them, which made her face look rather cute despite her age. Crystal nodded, using her magic to move her mane out of her face.

"Yes, we're the visitors from the Crystal empire," She said, before holding out a hoof. "My name's Crystal Shard."

Diana shook her hoof in greeting. "Diana Berry Sparkle, and this is my coltfriend Lord Thermidor of Seaquestria."

"How do you do?" the hippogriff greeted kindly.

"We're doing fine," Crystal said, before nudging the pony beside her to try and convey without using words that he should introduce himself.

"Back home, I'm known as Welder," the earth pony said. "Due to the job I work at."

"Pleasure to meet you both," Thermidor answered with a nod.

"So, what brings you here?" Diana asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Crystal smiled.

"We promised some friends a while back that we would one day come and visit," the unicorn explained. "We finally decided to come see them."

"Maybe we could help? We know just about everypony in these parts," Diana suggested. "Who are you looking for?"

Crystal smiled.

"Princess Twilight and TD," She said. Diana looked to them in surprise, while Thermidor chuckled.

"What are the odds?" he said aloud, then allowed Diana to speak.

"That's my mom and dad!" she exclaimed, then added, "Well, adoptive ones, but still... you know them?!"

Crystal nodded.

"We know them from a while back," She admitted. "I actually met Welder thanks to TD."

She smiled lovingly at Welder.

"How long ago did you meet?" Thermidor asked. "Did you meet on good terms?"

"Well, we actually met during a war," Welder replied. "But we wee both on the same side if that's what you were asking."

"Ah... which war was it, if I may ask," Thermidor inquired. "Any I'd be familiar with? I'm quite learned in Equestrian history."

Crystal glanced at Welder.

"I'm not certain if the war ever got a name," she said slowly. "And I was to busy relaxing after it ended to pay attention to anything involving it." The unicorn used her magic to make a little flurry of snowflakes around her horn, smiling as she felt their refreshing chilliness. "Do you think you could take us to them?" the mare asked, her blue eyes focusing on Diana.

"Sure! Right this way," Diana answered, then she and Thermidor led the way towards the Castle of Friendship. Despite being blind, Thermidor seemed well-acquainted with the roads. It was also then that they discovered that Diana was deaf when someone called a greeting to her and Thermidor had to tell her so by tapping her shoulder and pointing her towards the caller. Crystal glanced at Welder, shrugging slightly, before she turned her head to face the direction they were going. As they walked along, a large shadow passed by overhead, followed by another one of the same size and one of smaller dimensions.

"Crystal Shard?" A voice asked, one that Crystal hadn't hear in a long time, and the unicorn looked up to find three dragons hovering in the air, one obviously younger then the other due to its size, while the two larger ones looked at her with smiles. One had scales that constantly shifted colors, while the other had sandy-yellow scales, the head of a double-bladed axe just visible from where the weapon was strapped to its back.

"Welder, look!" Crystal exclaimed, excited. "It's Cobra!"

The earth pony looked up and broke into a huge grin.

"Long time, friends!" he called up.

"More friends of yours?" Diana asked with a smile. Crystal nodded as the three dragons landed, and the sand colored one walked forwards.

"I guess you two came to visit TD and Twilight as well?" Cobra asked, his black eyes glittering with a hidden humor.

Crystal nodded, before she looked at the large female dragon. "Hi Lantana. How's life been treating you?"

Lantana smiled, walking up to Cobra's side and wrapping a wing around him. "Life's been treating the both of us amazing. In fact, we have someone we want to introduce you to."

Cobra turned around and slowly pushed the younger dragon forwards. Now that they could see it closer, they noticed it was female, and that her scales constantly shifted colors, yet at the end of her tail was a barb that looked much like the one on the end of Cobra's tail.

"Crystal, Welder, and your two companions, I'd like to introduce you to our daughter, Sandflower," the SandWing said, a smile on his face. The young dragon nervously eyed the ponies and waved.

"Hello there," Diana greeted warmly. Thermidor walked over to her and smiled.

"Pardon my request, but may I?" he asked, holding up a claw. Sandflower blinked, before nodding.

"Sure." The young dragon said, her voice soft yet at the same time holding an undertone of confidence. Thermidor gently lifted his claw up and felt about her face to get a good idea of who was in front of him.

"You have a lovely daughter," he said to Cobra and Lantana.

"Thanks," Cobra said, smiling even though he knew Thermidor couldn't see him. "We love her."  
Crystal cleared her throat. "Maybe we can continue on to the castle now? I'd really like to see Princess Twilight and TD," The unicorn said, but not unkindly.

"Oh, right!" Diana giggled. "Come on, it's this way!"

She led them along through the streets of Ponyville, with many ponies looking to the dragons with awe or surprise. Apparently, it wasn't everyday for them that a dragon visited them. Cobra, Lantana, Crystal and Welder couldn't help but notice Changelings among the ponies in the town as well without any disguises, freely exposed for the public to see. Crystal took hurried forwards so that she was walking beside Diana.

"When did all these Changelings get here?" The unicorn asked. "I don't remember them being ere last time I was in Ponyville. Do you Welder?"

She looked back at the earth pony, a questioning look on her face.

"The only reason they were here before was because Chrysalis was forced to help us out during the whole Crossover ordeal," he stated.

"About that... Chrysalis is dead now," Diana spoke up. "Killed by Red's own creation."

Welder's eyes opened in surprise.

"Red is back here?" he asked.

"No, but he visits on occasion," Thermidor answered. "And it was his bot, Cindy, that killed Chrysalis for trying to kill Queen Pinkie Pie."

Crystal blinked, before glancing at Welder and shrugging.

"I guess we did miss a whole lot while we stayed in the Crystal Empire," She said. "Kinda makes me wonder what else is going to be new..."

"Oh trust me, there's a lot," Thermidor replied. Diana giggled, and continued to lead them on. Finally, they found themselves outside the Castle of Friendship, just as the chaotic human in question started exiting the crystal building with Twilight.

"Oh, there you are Diana!" he said to his daughter. "Did the arrivals from the Crystal Empire get-?"

He stopped dead when he noticed the group with her and his eyes widened with surprise, his wife doing the same. Twilight broke out of her trance first and her face became one of joyful glee, TD following suit after.

"No way. No freaking way!" TD exclaimed. "T-bone and Crystal?! Is that really you?"

"T-bone?" Thermidor and Diana exchanged looks, even though only one of them was able to actually see the other's confusion. Crystal giggled, her eyes twinkling.

"Welder's name is actually T-bone, but only I call him that anymore, and only when we're at home," she explained, before the unicorn used her magic to cause a miniature snowstorm around her horn. "That proof enough of my identity TD? If it's not, I could always use one of my combat spells."

"Nah, that's good enough," TD answered, while Twilight rushed over to the unicorn and gave her and her husband a hug.

"The last time I saw either of you was after we had said goodbye to everyone else," she said. "It's good to see you again."

Crystal laughed. "It's good to see you too Princess Twilight, but we aren't the only ones who came to see you!"

Cobra stepped forwards, a smile on his face as his black eyes focused on first Twilight, then TD. The light glinted off the edges of his double-bladed axe.

"Hello TD. Hello Princess Twilight" the SandWing finally greeted. Lantana came up beside the sand dragon, a smile on her face.

"Cobra! Long time no see, friend," TD remarked. "And you too Lantana. I see life has been kind to you both."

"Did you get taller?" Welder/T-bone suddenly asked Twilight, now that he realized how much taller he was compared to Crystal; her head was just a few inches above TD's waist now, and she was definitely at least a foot taller than she had been the last time they had met. Twilight giggled.

"I have gotten a little taller," she admitted.

"Blame the fact that she's an alicorn for that one," TD joked. He then noticed Sandflower. "And who's this lovely figure?"

Cobra smiled, placing a talon lightly on Sandflowers shoulder.

"TD, this is Sandflower, me and Lantana's daughter," The SandWing said proudly. The young dragon looked at TD for a few seconds, before shrugging her fathers talon off her.

"Hi!" She said, waving at TD.

"Hello there! Nice to meet you," TD greeted warmly.

"Awe, she looks so cute!" Twilight exclaimed, getting an odd expression that looked rather adorable. Diana giggled at her mother's expression.

"How old are you?" TD asked Sandflower.

"Seven," Sandflower answered, cocking her head at TD. "Are you one of those scavenger thingies my parents keep telling me stories about?"

Cobra shot TD an apologetic look. "We wanted her to know about the history of our old home, and there humans are called scavengers. Hope that's alright," The SandWing explained.

"No harm done," TD reassured. "I've heard my kind called by much worst." He then smiled and looked to Sandflower. "Yes, I am. But we call ourselves humans."

"Oh. Okay!" The little dragon said, smiling back at him.

Crystal laughed and looked at Twilight then TD. "So, what have you two been up to since we last saw each other?"

Twilight and TD exchanged looks, then laughed.

"It's a long story," the alicorn replied. "Where to begin?"

"We've had to stop a dark force in another Equestria, kill Chrysalis, banish The Pony of Shadows, reestablish Pinkie Pie's hive and make her become the new monarch... Not necessarily in that order. And the list goes on," TD ranted. Crystal laughed.

"Well, if there's anything to be said from that new prince being introduced, I'd say you've been up to a whole lot." The unicorn said, before her face turned serious. "Seriously though, who is this Tempus? I thought I noticed something that seemed familiar about him... like he also knows ice magic." She blinked, before adding shyly. "Don't ask me how I do it, because I don't know, but somehow I can sense if somepony can use ice magic."

"Oh, Tempus? He's a friend of mine," TD explained. "Originally, when I was still the villain, he tried to hunt me down. I met him in my personal fighting ring, The Chaotic Arena Rumble. He had been trying to hunt me, but he realized during the fight that I had truly changed and instead visited me later on to ask if he could stay here. It was then that he told me his true identity."

Crystal blinked. "Oh... can he do ice magic?" The unicorn asked, wanting to be certain she had sensed something that was actually true.

"He can, as it's one of the few things that actually affects me on a large scale," TD replied.

"So I noticed." Crystal said dryly. "If you'll remember, I frequently used that weakness against you."

"Yeah... I was a real jerk back then," TD joked.

"And you're not now?" Twilight asked him with a smirk.

Cobra glanced between TD and Twilight, before he murmured to Lantana. "I'm glad we don't act like tha... OW!"

Lantana smirked at him, having whacked him hard over the head with her tail. The SandWing made a disgruntled noise and closed his mouth.

"You were saying?" TD remarked, then laughed a bit. Diana and Twilight couldn't help but giggle themselves. Crystal also laughed, and Cobra glared at them all, before he chuckled himself.

"Okay, so maybe we aren't absolutely a perfect couple, like I like to make it seem," he said.

"To be fair though, no one is a 'perfect' couple," TD stated. "If everything was perfect, I'd be bored out of my mind."

"Would you?" Twilight asked him.

"Yeah I would. I've seen what could be accurately thought of as 'perfect' before... it makes me feel a bit uneasy," he replied.

"That did always seem to sound like something you could never achieve, perfection," Thermidor commented. Crystal cleared her throat.

"How about we get back on track with our visit?" She asked kindly.

"Oh, right! Silly me!" Twilight giggled. "How have you been?"

"We've been great," Crystal said, smiling. "We've been having a great time living peacefully in the Crystal Empire. I kinda miss a life of action though," The unicorn added, sighing nostalgically.

"Hey, don't worry! At this rate, trouble is bound to happen sooner or later," TD reassured her, which caused Twilight to glare at him. "What? It's true. We've had a busy year."

"Sounds like a headache to me," Welder remarked. Crystal nodded.

"If you ever need us, we'll be there," She said, glancing at Welder. "Maybe we should move to Ponyville. Life in the Crystal Empire is getting a bit boring to be honest."

"I've considered the possibility too," he answered her. "It's much quieter out here and more peaceful, even with the Changeling hive in the distance."

"I was hoping you'd say that," TD smirked. "Because we've still got plenty of room here in the town. Just warn us ahead of time if you have additional family members moving in with you. Whether it be Aunt Betty from next door or the wee little foal born yesterday."

"You're sounding like a salesman," Twilight scolded him playfully. Cobra blinked.

"Uhh... what's going on right now?" he asked.

"A joke, though I understand your confusion," TD answered. "So... have any of you seen Sunshine yet?"

Cobra shook his head along with Lantana and Sandflower. Crystal shook her head as well.

"No, I can't say I have," She admitted.

"Oh, that'd be Celestia's adopted daughter," Twilight explained, in case of confusion. "She's a baby Changeling we found after Chrysalis's defeat."

"She's really cute," Thermidor added. "Even if I can't see her, I can tell she's a perfect little gem."

"Her species is unknown to us, for it seems that she's the last of her kind," TD remarked. "The only Changeling we know of that doesn't have wings and that has eight eyes."

"I wish I could see her!" Crystal exclaimed. "I want to see her!"

"You may yet see her soon enough," TD answered, chuckling at their enthusiasm. "We were actually gonna have Celestia come on down for a visit, and she may be bringing Sunshine with her." He looked out towards Canterlot. "Any minute now..."

As he looked out, soon he saw two alicorn figures approaching through the air towards them. The one was recognizable from even such a distance; Celestia seemed to have that affect on some ponies transparently. The other was only familiar to some because of personal interaction or brief sighting of his appearance. On Celestia's back was another creature that had almost gone unnoticed until they were closer to the waiting figures below. It was clearly a Changeling given its black and mismatched appearance, but what made her stand out was the rainbow colored web-like mane Changelings tended to have in their original form.

The two alicorns descended a short distance away, and then started trotting over to the small group that had assembled. It was then that the eight eyes on the Changeling could be seen, each looking at a different being present. Crystal squinted, trying to see the baby Changeling from a ways away.

"Who's the other alicorn?" she asked.

"That would most likely be Tempus himself," TD answered with a smile.

"I haven't seen him too much myself," Twilight remarked. "It'd be nice to speak to him in person."

Crystal's eyes widened.

"You mean I'll be able to meet another ice magic user!?" The unicorn squealed excitedly.

TD laughed. "Let's wait and see what we've got here, my friend."

Soon, the two alicorns and the Changeling had arrived, all smiling warmly at them. Celestia seemed particularly happy to see Cobra and Lantana.

"Cobra, Lantana," she greeted warmly. "It has been a long time, my friends."

Cobra smiled at Celestia.

"Indeed It has been princess." The dragon said. Lantana nodded, and Sandflower peeked around Cobra's leg at the two alicorns, her eyes wide. Celestia giggled at Sandflower's actions.

"It's alright, I don't bite," she teased. On her back, Sunshine noticed Sandflower and a happy giggle came from her as all eight eyes focused on the smaller dragon. She seemed to be trying to say hello.

"Hi," Sandflower said, creeping out from behind Cobra's leg. Meanwhile, Crystal was staring at Tempus, her eyes wide as she waited for the second alicorn to say something.

TD giggled. "Tempus, say hello to one of our old friends since The Crossover, Crystal Shard and her husband Welder, or T-bone."

T-bone glared at TD with a smile in his eyes to show that he wasn't actually angry.

"You're never gonna let that name go, are you?" he asked.

"Nope," TD replied. Tempus smiled at the two, dipping his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two." He said. "You two were amazing when you fought in The Crossover."

Crystal shot a confused look at TD, her eyes wide.

"Oh, sorry! The Crossover is what we call that whole ordeal when I brought all those worlds together," TD explained. "I hear they might finally put that in the history books."

Celestia chuckled. "If we can find any more veterans from that time."

"Why not ask T-bone? He counts, doesn't he?" TD asked.

"Even if I do, I'd still prefer not to get too involved in that if you don't mind," T-bone remarked.

"That's not why I'm confused," Crystal said, before pointing a hoof at Tempus. "How does he know about what we were like during if he wasn't even here!?"

"Oh... he's a keeper of Time," TD answered. "Anything that happens in the past, present, or future, he'll know about it."

Tempus nodded, before he glanced at TD.

"I think you might want to move." The alicorn said. "Something's about to fall right where your standing."

"Slide to the left," TD sang out as he stepped to the side. An anvil fell right where TD had been standing, and Tempus smirked.

"Told you," The alicorn said.

"Really? Anvil on the head? Isn't that an old one?" TD asked no one in particular. Tempus shrugged, before he looked at Cobra and Lantana, smiling at Sandflower.

"So TD, you going to introduce me to these three fine dragons?" The alicorn asked. TD nodded and then introduced them.

"Tempus, this is Cobra, Lantana and their daughter Sandflower. Previously mentioned dragons, this is Tempus."

Cobra dipped his head at Tempus, and Lantana did as well. Sandflower waved at Tempus, causing the alicorn to chuckle.

"Pleased to meet you three as well," Tempus said, smiling.

"Well, I'd say that the only ones that haven't been given a proper introduction yet would be to my son," TD remarked. "On that note, where is the little con artist?"

"Con artist?" Twilight gave him a look.

"I ran out of nicknames to give him," the human shrugged. Tempus chuckled.

"And why did you choose that particular nickname TD?" the alicorn asked. Crystal just glanced at T-bone with a confused look, uncertain now as to what was about to happen.

"Because the guy is really mischievous sometimes," TD stated. "Just like me!"

"Cloud of feathers to my left in three... two... one..." Diana spoke, and just when she finished a multicolored cloud of feathers appeared beside her, clearing swiftly to reveal Zach standing there with his wings spread out before he tucked them back to his sides. His purple draconic eyes peered at the group before him and he gave a friendly smile. TD, meanwhile, was looking to his daughter with an odd expression.

"How does she do that?" he asked no one in particular. Celestia giggled at his confusion. Tempus was also eyeing Diana, the alicorn's green eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"I'd like to know the answer to that as well," Tempus murmured softly under his breath. Crystal looked at Zach, her blue eyes wide.

"How'd you do that?" the unicorn asked. Cobra just glanced at Lantana, a bemused smirk on his face.

"That didn't even faze me," the SandWing muttered, which earned him another smack over the head.

Zach chuckled. "Well, when you're born with your mother and father's powers, you can usually afford to get away with that kind of stuff." He extended his hoof out in greeting. "Name's Zachary Sparkle, but please call Zach."

"Crystal Shard," Crystal said, extending her own hoof and taking Zach's hoof, shaking it. "But please, just call me Crystal. Everypony else does."

T-bone went next. "Back home they call me Welder, but my real name is T-bone."

Zach got a curious look in his eyes. "Oh, I see. Originally a Clone trooper who decided to retire here in Equestria; originally known as TB-043 by your superiors. Terrible that you're just given a number and no name when you're born. Or created."

TD laughed aloud. "And I thought Red made it sound surprising."

Crystal laughed along with him.

Cobra also smiled, before he stepped forwards, extending his talon. "My name's Cobra. Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you," Zach greeted. "And I assume this is your family?" He asked, gesturing to the other two dragons behind him.

Cobra nodded, putting a wing around Lantana. "This is my wife Lantana, and the little one's our daughter Sandflower."

"Hello there, Sandflower," Zach greeted warmly. "Nice to meet you."

The pegasus's dragon eyes glowed softly and gently, expressing his gentle and caring expression well. Sandflower smiled, her own eyes twinkling as she walked towards Zach.

"Nice to meet you too!" She said, flaring her wings. TD got a look of admiration.

"Aw, I just know he'd make a good dad," he said to himself.

"Easy there buddy," Twilight giggled. "Save it for after the wedding."

If Zach had heard either of them, he didn't show it.

"I've never seen a dragon like you before," Zach said to Sandflower with amazement. "Very remarkable! Where are you from?"

Cobra chuckled, uncurling his own barbed tail and arcing it over his shoulder.

"Me and Lantana aren't actually from Equestria," the SandWing explained. "Our world got dragged into The Crossover, and when it was all over we decided to stay here instead of going back home. I'm a SandWing, Lantana's a RainWing, so Sandflower's a hybrid." He said, trying to explain why Sandflower looked the way she did.

"Wow..." Zach seemed momentarily speechless. "I've rarely seen dragons that looked so... beautiful before. It's always a pleasure to meet one in person."

Cobra smiled, as he reached behind him and pulled his axe off his back, planting the heads on the ground and leaning on it.

"I'm not so certain 'beautiful' is quite the word to describe me," He said.

"No. Endearingly annoying and stubborn are the words to describe you," Lantana remarked in a deadpan tone of voice, causing Cobra to shoot a quick glare at her. TD laughed at the exchange.

"Handsome doesn't seem to work either. So... inbetween?" he suggested.

"Close enough," Zach chuckled.

"But I'm starting to forget myself already," TD muttered. Celestia giggled.

"Yes, you are getting a little sidetracked," she admitted.

"Okay then... Tia, why did I call you and Tempus down here again?" TD asked.

"I just came to drop on by," the alicorn answered. "I didn't have any real reason other than to see you all again."

Tempus smiled. "And I tagged along because I had nothing better to do," The alicorn said, laughing.

"So just a friendly get-together." TD chuckled again. "I would just love to see the look on Pinkie's face when she sees you guys. Though I'm not sure how recognizable she'd still be to you guys..."

As TD was still speaking, a loud dramatic gasp was heard a distance away from them and they turned in time to see a blackish blur with a dab of pink zip over to them, stopping to reveal Pinkie Pie in her Changeling form. Even while looking slightly older, she was still looking rather young. and excited.

"Cobra! Lantana! Crystal! T-bone! You're all here!" she shouted joyfully, somehow bringing them all in for a big hug, even the dragons despite their size. "It's been forever!"

"Oof!" Crystal said, trying to take a breath of air. "Hi Pinkie."

Cobra looked awkwardly at Lantana, trying not to complain out of fear of getting whacked a third time. Tempus chuckled.

"Pinkie, I do believe your friends need air to breathe," The alicorn said, a smile on his face. "Plus I do believe the dragons are feeling uncomfortable."

"Oops! Sorry!" Pinkie released them, but she was still bouncing up and down a bit. "I'm just so excited to see you guys again! The last time we saw you was... twenty plus years ago!"

Crystal laughed, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Yes, it was. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday," The unicorn said, looking at T-bone. Cobra exchanged a look with Lantana, as Sandflower peered curiously at Pinkie.

"Oh, Sandflower this is my Aunt Pinkie Pie," Zach said to the younger dragon. "She's a nice Changeling once you get to know her."

Sandflower waved at Pinkie, smiling.

"Hi!" She squeaked. Tempus eyed Crystal with a slight twinkle in his eyes, before he glanced at TD to see if the chaotic entity knew what the alicorn knew. If anyone knew, it would be the human with 4th wall breaking abilities.

"I know what you're thinking Tempus, and I'm well aware too," TD chuckled.

"Well aware of what?" T-bone asked.

"Aw! Congratulations!" Pinkie chimed in.

"Pinkie..." Zach laughed. Crystal smiled at T-bone, a sparkle in her blue eyes.

"I actually have something to tell you T-bone," the unicorn said, before giggling. "But it appears that multiple ponies already know about it."

Tempus frowned. "Blame future sight," the alicorn grumbled.

"Or the fact that Darkstalker728 sent me the me-" TD started, but was jabbed in the side by Twilight, so he kept silent.

"What? What do you want to tell me?" T-bone asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Crystal smiled at him.

"T-bone... I'm pregnant." The unicorn said, her blue eyes focused on her husband. T-bone was stunned into silence.

"You- you mean... I'm gonna be..." he seemed unable to finish, so great was his joy and surprise. Crystal nodded, smiling.

"You're going to be a father T-bone," She said. Tempus chuckled.

"I wish you luck T-bone," The alicorn said, winking. "From what I can see, you'll need it." The alicorn chuckled to himself.

"This... this is wonderful!" the earth pony laughed, hugging his wife joyfully. "I'm gonna be a father!"

"Remember when you did that?" Twilight asked TD.

"Yep. Never gets old," TD answered her. Crystal laughed, hugging T-bone back.

"I actually think moving to Ponyville would be a good idea." The unicorn said. "Then when our foal gets old enough, we know it'll be able to make some good friends."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Diana asked her parents, finally breaking her short silent streak. TD smirked.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's best you find out for yourself," he replied cheekily.

"Well, I don't care either way," T-bone said. "Either way, I'll be the luckiest stallion out there."

"That's the spirit!" Thermidor cheered.

Crystal laughed. "And I'll be an even luckier mare," She said, kissing T-bone.

"Don't ya just love happy endings?" TD asked no one in particular.

"The ending hasn't even com around, silly," Twilight corrected him playfully.

"Oh right... whoops!" TD chuckled at his own silliness. He then noticed Celestia chuckling as well and he gave her a teasing expression.

"You knew about them too, didn't you?" he asked.

"Maybe..." she replied with a smirk. Tempus chuckled.

"TD, of course she knew. Tia somehow knows almost everything before anypony else even learns it," The alicorn said, smiling.

"Are you sure? There's a few things I'd say she didn't know would happen. Like Chrysalis's attack on Canterlot, or the return of The Pony of Shadows, or..." TD started listing off several different occasions.

"How do you know that I didn't know about them?" Celestia asked him, still keeping her smirk. "Maybe I did know, but I let others handle the situation because it was not my place to deal with the problem."

TD stopped and looked to her as she giggled.

"Oh, you're good Tia," he admitted. "Real good."

Tempus extended one of his wings and covered his face, obviously hiding a grin. After a few seconds, the alicorn lowered his wing, having regained his composure.

"Now, how about we continue this visit?" Tempus suggested.

"Indeed," Celestia agreed. "Besides, I think Sunshine is willing to make some new friends."

Her suspicions were confirmed as the baby Changeling giggled gleefully and transformed into a kind of insect to climb off of Celestia. She then shifted back to normal and walked clumsily, but otherwise safely, over towards Sandflower. Sandflower giggled, smiling at the Changeling as she held out a talon. Crystal watched, a small smile on her face.

"Hashtag cute!" TD whispered as the baby Changeling lifted up one of her mismatched hooves and laid it on the dragon's talon, beaming a huge smile up at the young drake. Sandflower smiled back, her eyes wide in excitement.

"Hi," She said kindly, trying to contain her excitement. Cobra glanced at Lantana, and the two dragons walked a few feet away and started talking in low voices, their wings spread to keep their voices from traveling.

"Hi," Sunshine spoke in a baby voice, causing TD and the majority there to look to the Changeling in surprise, then look on in awe at the cute gesture. Only Celestia was unaffected.

"She's been learning to speak," she explained to TD. "On the night you gave her that birthday party, as I was putting her to bed, she called me 'Mamma.'"

"Aw! That's so cute!" TD couldn't contain himself any more and a tear feel from his eyes. "I'm literally about to cry because of how cute this is!"

Sunshine giggled, then said, "Hi!" again to Sandflower.

"Hi!" Sandflower said, smiling. Cobra seemed to nod at something Lantana said, before the SandWing turned, raising one of his talons and pointing a claw at TD, before pointing to the ground next to him, in an obvious gesture. The SandWing then looked at Tempus and did the same thing. Tempus nodded, before he glanced at TD.

"I'm sorry everypony, but it appears that TD and I are needed by Cobra and Lantana," The alicorn said. "We'll try to be back as quickly as we can."

"Really?" TD sighed, then looked to his family. "I'll be back."

He walked over to where Cobra and Lantana were standing.

"What's wrong this time?" he asked them. "Please tell me it's not an army of giants that make me look like an eight inch squirrel trying to protect you."

Lantana blinked. "Wh- you know what, I don't even want to know," The RainWing said, shaking her head.

"Lantana and I have been talking, and we've agreed that Sandflower is old enough to go out on her own. We think she'd have the best chance of making friends here," Cobra spoke, his black eyes focused on TD and Tempus. "We were wondering if you'd be willing to look out for her TD."

Tempus blinked, before the alicorn closed his eyes, his horn lighting up with dark blue magic as he used his magic, his eyes darting around under his eyelids like he was looking at something. TD gave them a silent expression, then eventually smiled.

"Well, I've seen plenty of species where something like this happens, but this is... not what I expected," he stated. "However, I will do my best." He looked towards Tempus. "What are you doing over there, Doctor Strange? Thanos isn't even here yet!"

Tempus curled his lip, his eyes still closed, before firing a blast of his magic at TD without even looking, hitting the chaotic entity and throwing him backwards.

"I am not anything like Doctor Strange," the alicorn said as he opened his eyes, glaring at TD. "And to answer your question, I was checking the all the futures I could see to see if anything bad occurs from this happening, and I found none."

Cobra seemed to let out a breath he had been holding in, before he looked at TD.

"So... could you tell Sandflower about our decision? Because Lantana and I would greatly appreciate it," the SandWing asked.

"Sure thing. But I'd suggest you prepare for the waterworks that may follow," TD replied as he stood to his feet. He then glared at Tempus as his image turned into a paper target with a monotone expression.

"Please stop shooting me with magic. It hurts," the target said, then morphed back into TD's human form as he made his way back to Sandflower, whom Sunshine seemed rather attached to now. Sandflower glanced at TD as Tempus followed the human, walking around to stand by Celestia once again.

"What did my mom and dad want to say to you and Tempus?" The young drake asked, tilting her head and looking curiously at TD.

TD sighed. 'Why am I always asked for these kind of things?'

"Sandflower... your parents wanted me to tell you... they think you're old enough to go out on your own," he said honestly. "They think you'll have the best chance of making friends here in Ponyville, and wanted me to watch after you during that time." He sighed again. "I said I'd do it, but... well, these kinds of things aren't easy for me to do."

Sunshine glanced at TD with four of her eyes, while looking to Sandflower with the other four. She seemed to be trying to figure out what was going on. Sandflower blinked, her eyes widening.

"Wait, you mean they want me to come live in Ponyville by myself!?" She asked, her voice becoming extremely high by the end of her sentence.

"I don't know; I'm just the messenger," TD remarked. "But... it sounds close?"

Sunshine seemed to sense the distress of her friend, which wasn't too surprising since she was a Changeling, and locked all eight eyes on her. Her face seemed to be asking that she didn't cry. Sandflowwer was visibly shaken, her wings quivering, but she nodded bravely.

"I... I guess I can try," She said, her voice shaky.

TD gave her a smile. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. Although next time, I'd really appreciate it if they told someone else to do this."

"Like me?" Tempus said flatly, his green eyes narrowing as he glared at TD.

"Or just say it themselves? I don't know," TD shrugged. Sandflower nodded, taking a deep breath.

"So, where will I live?" She asked, calmed down significantly.

"I've... got a few ideas," TD grinned. "Not far from here is a lair a dragon used to live in once. He was forced to leave because his fumes were polluting the air. However, that was simply because of his species. That and he was a mean dragon." He smiled. "I'd say it's a good place to start. And if you want, I can personally come over there with you and give it a personal makeover."

Sandflower nodded, smiling.

"I'd really like that!" She said, beaming at TD. Sunshine laughed.

"I like!" she squealed. Sandflower giggled, looking at Sunshine happily.

"Sometimes I wonder whether or not I'll be able to make it to when my two foals are born," Tempus murmured to Celestia.

"You might make it still," Celestia replied. "TD and Twilight managed as long as they did with Zach and Diana both. Who's to say you can't make it?"

Tempus stared at her.

"Me," He said. "Because neither of them were able to see the future where their children were already born."

"So? That doesn't mean that you'll be any less better at it than they were," Celestia remarked. "Besides, I personally think you'd be a good father."

"Thanks," Tempus said. "I hope I am a good father."

Crystal smiled at T-bone, leaning up against her husband.

"Well, life just took a delightful turn for the better," T-bone said aloud.

"I'll say!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I almost wish that I could..." She gasped. "I know! I've just got to throw a party for you guys! I'll be back! Pinkie Promise!"

And with that, she zipped away like a streak of lightning. Tempus grinned.

"Well, I guess that there's going to be a large chance for Sandflower to meet some new friends now, isn't there?" the alicorn said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"That's for sure," Zach chuckled.

"Hey, you know what? I just realized something else," TD stated. "Aren't Screwball and Tracker coming on down here?"

"Last I checked," Twilight told him. "Why?"

"Because I'm willing to bet that's two more potential friends on the guest list," TD replied. Tempus laughed, before Cobra and Lantana came up to Sandflower.

"We're going now, but know that we'll always love you," Lantana said, kissing her daughter.

"Stay strong. Make some friends. Have fun," Cobra added shortly, before the two grown dragons lifted off, flying away. Sandflower looked after them, a tear rolling down her face.

"Gosh darn it, now I feel like crying," TD remarked.

"Stay strong dad, for her," Zach said to his father, while looking to Sandflower.

"Leave?" Sunshine asked Sandflower with a confused expression.

"They're having me live here on my own," Sandflower explained. "So they're leaving and going back to Queen Ember's region and leaving me here to live in Ponyville."

"Happy?" she asked again, looking at her with curiosity.

"I don't know Sunshine..." the young drake said. "I should be happy that they're letting me go out on my own now, but I also miss them already... what do I do now?" She asked, not directing the question at anyone in particular.

"I know that feeling," TD remarked. "I guess what you can do is start with the party when Pinkie comes around again. That'll put you in a good mood for later."

"Party?!" Sunshine squealed excitedly. "Love parties!"

Crystal laughed.

"Well then, I guess we should get ready for the party that Pinkie's going to throw," She said, smiling.

Tempus laughed as well. "If there's anything I know about Pinkie, this party is going to be huge."

"And knowing her, she's probably going to invite a lot of her hive members over," Celestia noted. "Meaning, it's gonna be packed."

"The more the merrier... providing that they stay out of my lab," TD remarked.

"You heard about that one, Tempus?" Zach asked the male alicorn. Tempus raised an eyebrow.

"I've seen it, multiple times when I view the past," He said, before looking at TD. "Why don't you just set up a spell that only allows a select few to come within a certain distance of the entrance of the lab?"

"Because the Castle was essentially made by the magic of the Elements of Harmony, and it's harder than you'd think to manipulate that kind of magic with my own. The added rooms in the castle weren't cheap, ya know."

"He tried adding them all at once," Twilight explained. "It worked... at the cost of him passing out for the next twelve hours."

Tempus nodded.

"I can understand. When do you think Pinkie will be back from setting up that party?" He asked, stretching his wings. "Because I'm looking forwards to it to meet some more ponies myself."

"Well, given the speed she was traveling, the new party cannon I gave her, and how quickly she can sent out invitations... right now," TD stated. As soon as he said so, Pinkie suddenly zipped right up to them.

"I'm finished!" she yelled. "Now we just have to wait until the others arrive!"

"Called it!" TD cheered. "Being the author of your own story is great!"

Tempus looked at him, before raising his eyebrow again.

"And being able to see the future is also helpful." He said with a smirk as a box suddenly materialized in the air above TD, falling on him. However, TD's image disappeared like a mist, reappearing nearby again with a glare directed skywards.

"Okay, who keeps doing that?!" he demanded, then shouted upwards, "You're gonna get someone killed!"

"TD, that time it was Cobra." Tempus said, pointing to a note attached to the box. It read:

"Sandflower, here's all your stuff. Hope you enjoy living in Ponyville!  
-Cobra"

The alicorn smirked, before adding. "However, I don't know where the anvil from earlier came from."

It came because Darkstalker728 and I are just jerks sometimes.

"No kidding!" Pinkie remarked.

Oh right... forgot about you.

"To be fair, it's been quite a few chapters since you've pulled that one, author," TD replied.

Fair point.

Tempus blinked, before his eyes flickered from their green color to his different colored eyes as Michael, which glowed slightly for a second, before returning to their green color.

"Okay, I think I managed to fuse my 4th wall breaking abilities from my Pyrunian form to this one." He said aloud. "No clue when we'll be able to find out whether or not it worked."

Crystal was looking between Pinkie, TD, and Tempus with her mouth open, before shrugging as she closed it.

"Why am I even startled by stuff like that anymore after everything we've been through?" She asked T-bone.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "At this point, I'd have expected to be familiar with everything crazy, but I guess my brain would like to differ."

Tempus laughed, the alicorn's green eyes twinkling.

"Trust me, it's hard to get used to anything when you're friends with TD," he said, before adding. "Unless your life is almost as crazy as his, which is the case for me."

"So Pinkie, when will the guests arrive?" TD asked the Changeling monarch.

"Oh! They should be arriving in ten minutes on the field between the Castle and the hive!" she exclaimed.

"So in other words, not much time," TD chuckled.

"I dunno, we have a little time," Zach replied.

"Hey, wait a minute! Where's Diana and Thermidor?" TD demanded. Apparently, the couple had sneaked off during the conversation.

"How does she do it?" TD wondered. "I couldn't be that quiet in the midst of a pack of wild elephantcats."

"On the subject of time, I'd say that the definition of whether or not ten minutes is not a lot of time or if it is is relevant on the state of how the timeflow is. In my case, I could make ten minutes last for an eternity if I wanted to." Tempus said, before he blinked. "And I just went on a small rant about the mechanics of time again."

Celestia giggled. "Let's get going before Sunshine or somepony else falls asleep."

"Too late," Twilight giggled herself as she pointed to TD, who was in the middle of an obviously fake slumber.

"Zzzz! Whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo! So many bargins... Zzzz! Whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo!" he muttered. Sunshine laughed heartily at this and bounced up and down.

"Funny! Funny!" she called out. Sandflower also laughed, and Tempus smirked as he charged up his horn.

"I'll wake him up," The alicorn said as he continued to charge up energy for his spell. TD suddenly ended his fake sleep.

"What's that I sense?" he asked with mock stupidity. "Is that pain I sense?"

Tempus snorted, extinguishing his magic.

"Next time, I won't wait for you to react before I fire a spell," The alicorn said.

"Fair enough, I suppose," TD shrugged.

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Pinkie squealed.

"Party!" Sunshine chimed in.

"Alright, we're going!" TD chuckled as he started down the path towards the castle. Sandflower followed him, sticking close to him.

Crystal smiled at T-bone, her blue eyes twinkling. "So, do you think we should move here?" She asked as they followed TD.

Behind them, Tempus took to the air, swooping past them from above to land beside TD, the brown alicorn folding his wings in before walking beside the chaotic entity.

"Totally," T-bone answered his wife. "Even if they did a party every day, I'd enjoy every second of it."

"Yo Tempus, any signs of that fiend yet?" TD teased the alicorn gently. "You won't find anything next to me. That villain left almost forty years ago."

Tempus turned his gaze on TD, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Don't try my patience TD, it is already thin," The alicorn said bluntly. "Or else the next thing that tries to fall on you will be a giant boulder, courtesy of yours truly."

"How rude," TD fake pouted.

"Sorry," Tempus apologized.

"In all fairness though, would it really even hurt him?" Celestia asked. "I know it didn't work when I tried it."

"You tried that on me before? Wait..." TD thought back, then looked to Celestia with a slight glare as she giggled aloud. "It was you!"

Tempus shrugged.

"It was just an empty threat anyways," He murmured, before grinning. "Now, how about we hurry up? I don't want to be late for a Pinkie Pie party!"

"Way ahead of ya!" TD grinned, picking up the pace. "Catch me if you can!"

Twilight smirked. "Challenge accepted," she said, taking off after him. Pinkie rushed after them too, probably because of the thrill of joining in. Tempus grinned, before his horn sparked and he took off, his speed somehow enhanced as he zoomed past all three of them, leaving a trail behind him as he headed for the castle.

Crystal stared, her mouth open. Finally, she managed to get a few words out. "He... how?"

Celestia laughed. "I find it best not to ask. Now then, why don't we even the odds?"

Her horn glowed and all but Sunshine and Sandflower teleported away towards the Castle.

"Faster!" the young Changeling giggled. Sandflower smiled, before looking slyly at Sunshine.

"You want to go for a ride Sunshine?" She asked, spreading her wings as she crouched slightly. Sunshine nodded and climbed onto the dragon, hugging the base of her neck for support. Sandflower took off, flapping her wings to gain height before she dove towards the castle, the wind whistling past her as she let out a squeal of happiness.

"This is amazing! I've never flown this fast before!" She yelled. Sunshine squealed with delight as they descended down to the ground. Already, the majority of the others had already arrived.

"Please land in an orderly fashion," TD called up to them through a megaphone. "Thank you! Have a nice day!"

Sandflower rolled her eyes as she spread her wings to slow her descent, coming down slowly to land softly on the ground.

TD smiled. "A perfect landing. Now I don't have to worry about the cake."

Sandflower's eyes widened, and a huge smile spread across her face.

"There's going to be cake!?" She squealed, lashing her tail happily against the ground.

"Of course!" Pinkie answered her. "What's a party without the cake?"

"It's not necessary, but Pinkie's cakes are always the best around," Twilight said with a nod.

Crystal laughed. "Well, I can't wait for the party to start, Pinkie."

"Then let's not keep you waiting," she answered, pulling a party cannon out of nowhere and firing it up into the sky. Confetti fell down and as it did, a group of other Changelings, most likely from her hive, jumped out of hiding with several tables that had food or other refreshments on them.

"SURPRISE!" the Changeling monarch and her drones all shouted at once. Sunshine squealed joyfully and clapped her hooves at the greeting. Crystal blinked, stunned into silence. Tempus chuckled as he held up a hoof to Pinkie.

"Even though I saw that coming, it was still an amazing surprise Pinkie," the alicorn said.

"Maybe you should stop looking ahead in the future like that so you'll be even more surprised when she does it," TD suggested. Tempus stared flatly at TD.

"It's not like I physically try to have every possible future running through my head TD," the alicorn said sourly. "It's just a part of who I am. Which makes surprise parties a real struggle for me."

"In that case, disregard," TD answered. Meanwhile, Pinkie came hopping over with the cake.

"Cut the cake! Cut the cake!" she exclaimed.

"Who?" TD asked.

"The guests of honor, of course!" she answered, gesturing to Sandflower, Crystal and T-bone. Sandflower held up her talons, chuckling slightly.

"I'm good," She said, smiling. "I've never really ever had any experience with blades except for my dads axe."

Crystal smiled as she laughed. "T-bone and I will cut the cake. Sandflower, we'd really like it if you did it with us."

The unicorn mare smiled at the young drake, who caved under her gaze and nodded. Pinkie brought forth a small knife and planted it into the cake just enough so they could do the rest themselves. T-bone grabbed it and then turned to Sandflower and Crystal.

"Let's do it together," he suggested. "I always love a good bit of teamwork."

Crystal smiled, grabbing the knife as well. Sandflower lifted into the air slightly, hovering as she put her talon on the handle of the knife.

"On three. One, two, three!" Pinkie cheered as they cut the first slice. Everyone cheered along with them, including Sunshine.

"Good! Good!" she cheered. Tempus smiled, before he glanced at TD.

"You know, I may have to get over my slight dislike of fashionista's. I could use some cloaks, and as of right now the only pony I can think of is Rarity," he murmured to the chaotic entity.

"I've got a few cloaks I found over the years, including one version of Harry Potter's invisibility cloak," TD commented. "Don't ask me how or why I came across it; my guess is that I was in the wrong place at the right time."

"No offense TD, but I'd like cloaks that are in a style that fit me," Tempus said, before looking around. "Do you know where Rarity is? I may as well get to asking her to do it to get it over with."

"Probably at the botiuque unless Pinkie sent her an invitation- oh, there she is now. And she brought the whole crew!"

TD pointed to where the said unicorn was approaching with the rest of the Mane 7. With them was Spike, a figure TD hadn't seen for a while, and with him a small baby filly-dragon hybrid which he was pushing around in a stroller.

"Hey fellers! What's up?" TD called to them.

"Fellers?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, I got lazy and pulled a Mickey Mouse," he apologized. Tempus chuckled, before nodding at the rest of the Mane 7 and Spike.

"Greeting to you all," the alicorn said, his green eyes twinkling. He looked at Rarity. "I do hope it's not to much, but if I could ask a favor of you Rarity?"

"Why certainly!" she replied. "I was hoping to talk to you at one point; I wanted to make some measurements in case you ever became a customer. So, what do you need?"

Tempus smirked. "Well, you see, it's actually related to that. I need some cloaks to wear, and the only designer I could seem to think of was you."

The alicorn paused, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

Rarity gasped. "Yes! Yes, of course! How soon do you need it? You know what, don't answer that! I'll make you one as soon as I can, free of charge! Do you prefer-"

"Mom, you let the squeakers out again," TD interrupted, laughing. Rarity glared at him.

"I swear, you just do that to annoy me," she said.

Yep, he's a-

"Hey hey!" Pinkie shouted. "We're trying to keep this PG-13!"

Sorry...

Tempus laughed.

"I'm available for measurements right now if you'd like," He said.

"Of course! Wait one a moment..." She trotted over to Spike. "Where'd we put the measuring tape, darling?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "You had to do it, didn't you? She's been ecstatic ever since she heard there was a new alicorn in Equestria."

"Well, to be fair, how often do you get a new one?" Starlight inquired.

"At this rate, it might as well be every couple decades," TD remarked.

He's not entirely wrong. Seriously, I have EIGHT of them in the same universe right now! Oh, I never bothered to ask but... Tempus can you hear me?

"Who knows? Celestia never told us that one," TD shrugged. Tempus glanced at TD, raising an eyebrow, then he looked up at the sky.

"Yeah, I can hear you," he said. "What do you want?"

Just checking. Sometimes, it gets boring listening to just the only two or three people/ponies that can hear me.

"I can hear you too, you know," Twilight suddenly spoke up.

Oh... forgot about you. Exposed to TD's weirdness too long?

"No, I just caught on."

"Who are you guys talking to?" Rainbow Dash asked, she and the rest of the girls giving them a confused expression.

Ha ha, I'm a jerk sometimes.

"Yes, yes you are," Tempus said with a smirk, his green eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Fourth Wall breaking thing, Dash," TD replied.

"The what now?" she asked in confusion.

"Never mind. You wouldn't understand," the human remarked.

"So, Rarity, do you want to continue asking me about the cloak I need?" Tempus asked, turning his gaze back on the designer.

"One second," she said, and soon brought out a measuring tape. "Now I must ask you to hold still for a moment please."

Tempus nodded, standing at his full height. "Do you want me to spread my wings? Or are they fine as they are?" He asked.

"Hold on, I'm not quite there yet," Rarity told him. She lifted the measuring tape up and started on her task. Because of how often she had done such a thing before, she was able to complete much of it very quickly. At last, she asked, "Now you may spread your wings so I can get a wingspan. It's rather important to know how much room I need to allow to add them in."

Tempus nodded, spreading his wings to their full length, before he held them still. Rarity carefully measured the one wing, then switched to the next one.

"Why do both Rarity? By rule of thumb, they should both be the same size," TD commented.

"Not always, darling," she explained. "I once had a customer who had one wing that was slightly shorter than the other. Besides, you can never be too careful. There!" She stepped away from Tempus. "I think that should do it. Now then, I can have you come on by tomorrow if you wish and we can discuss the more finer details if you prefer."

"Tomorrow is fine by me." Tempus said, shaking his wings slightly before folding them flat against his sides. "When should I arrive?"

"Anytime before one o' clock is fine darling," she answered.

"One o' clock is usually the rush hour for her," Spike explained. As he spoke, a burst of fire came from the stroller and TD laughed.

"Sounds like Emerald had one-too-many of those shakes I made for her," he stated.

"Nah, she was just breathing," Spike reassured. "She's still trying to learn how to control that."

"How has yer house not burned to the ground yet?" Applejack asked him.

"Blame it on the human, AJ," TD answered for the dragon. Crystal raised an eyebrow, glancing at T-bone.

"So, I guess this is our life now, right?" She asked.

T-bone chuckled. "Looks like it."

"Get comfortable, because with Dad it never stops for long," Zach remarked, then whispered to them, "If you need a break from time to time, give me a call. Sometimes, even I need a break from chaos."

Crystal smiled at Zach, nodding to indicate she'd remember. Tempus shot a sly look at Zach, a small smirk on his face indicating he'd somehow overheard that.

"Government conspiracies all over again," TD joked.

"Do you want to sleep on the couch tonight?" Twilight warned.

"Doesn't matter, because we don't have a couch for sleeping!" he laughed. Celestia shook her head in amusement.

"Sometimes I feel like I'll never understand how those two work," she giggled. Tempus glanced at Celestia.

"I doubt I'll ever understand how they work either Tia, and I have the ability to see the past, present, and future, as well as break the fourth wall," the alicorn pointed out.

"Guess we both have something in common then," she said with a wink; by what she was referring to, we may never know. Tempus blinked, before grunting.

"Tia, you never fail to somehow surprise me at every turn," he grumbled. The alicorn princess giggled again, then looked to where Sunshine and Sandflower seemed to be in the middle of a game of hide-and-seek, the Changeling using her shape-shifting abilities to her advantage during the game. The little Changeling giggled joyously every time she was found and every time she found the young drake too.

"I think those two may become the best of friends, if they haven't already," she remarked with a smile. Tempus followed her gaze and chuckled.

"I think they may already have Tia," he said with a smile.

"What told you that? The giggles or the almost instant attraction from the baby?" TD asked.

"Shh! Don't spoil the moment," Rainbow Dash shushed him, looking a bit emotional.

"Are ya cryin' Rainbow?" Applejack asked with a smirk.

"I don't know anymore," she answered. Tempus glanced at Rainbow Dash, before chuckling.

"Never thought I'd ever see you get emotional about stuff like this Rainbow Dash," he said. "But that just goes to show you that sometimes even I can be surprised by things I suppose."

"Is this the end?" TD asked no one in particular.

"End of what?" Starlight asked.

He was talking to- Oh right, you can't hear me. Well, doesn't matter. The end!

* * *

 **I'm cheeky sometimes, aren't I? XD**


	47. Dark Joy

Princess Celestia was lying there lifeless as blood oozed from her chest. Her eyes were still open and were filled with tears, as there was only one question in them: "Why my son? Why?"

The bipedal creature standing over her just looked towards her lifeless body with a grunt and a grim expression on his face.

"You shouldn't have denied me my destiny, mother..."

The bipedal creature looked around forty years old, with dark hairs, and red eyes. Then it looked beside Celestia where a barely alive Luna was lying on the ground.

"You beast!" Luna coughed. "What did you do to our nephew?" She struggled to breath while coughing out some blood. The creature just smirked at this.

"I'm alright, Aunt Lulu," It scoffed her. "He just helped me to realize what I couldn't myself."

As he said this, his eyes glowed with a bloody red light as an aura belt of the same color appeared around Luna's neck. as the creature clenched his fist, the belt grew tighter and tighter as she struggled more and more to breath until, she wasn't struggling anymore. Creature huffed in anger as he headed towards the library to look for a spell he needed. After not finding this around in the common areas, he went towards the Starswirl section of library. There he found the spell he was looking for, a spell that wasn't allowed to be used by anyone, save very advanced level unicorn mages.

"I won't let you deny me," he said as he began to cast the spell and a red light surrounded him, until he completely disappeared. "I am coming for you, Joy Star!"

* * *

 **In another Equestria...**

Princess Celestia sighed to herself heavily as she slumped forward on her throne in exhaustion. Her royal duties were completed for the time being, but they had been quite tiring to deal with. She was glad they were over though, because as tired as she was, she could now spend some time with her most precious treasure in the world. And that treasure soon appeared in the form of a young Changeling filly with a rainbow mane, no wings, and eight eyes walking into the throne room. She seemed to be around three years old of age.

"Hello Mamma!" the Changeling greeted as she gave the alicorn a hug. Celestia smiled and returned the hug with one of her wings.

"Hello my Sunshine," she said. "How was your day?"

"It was great!" the Changeling replied in a cute voice. "Aunt Fluttershy let me feed the animals with her today. The robins just had a few eggs hatch!" Sunshine sighed with happiness. "The babies were so cute. And the parents displayed so much love towards them. It was beautiful."

Celestia giggled. "I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself today, my little Sunshine. Now Mamma needs to lower the sun for Aunt Luna in the Thunder Empire. Want to watch?"

Sunshine clapped her hooves together. "Yes! I love watching you lower the sun!"

Celestia chuckled at her daughter's enthusiasm and trotted with her out onto the balcony of the palace. Her horn glowed softly with a golden aura and the sun slowly set on the horizon, followed by the rising of the moon and the appearance of the stars later on. Sunshine watched on in awe at the scene. It was truly a beautiful sight to see.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, somewhere nearby...**

"We're here?" Celestia asked the cloaked stallion beside her. "In William's Equestria?"

"I am sure, we are," The stallion replied. "Look there."

He raised a hoof in a certain direction where she saw that another Celestia was on the balcony of the Canterlot balcony staring at the night sky, along with a little changeling who was sitting beside her. Celestia was reassured that they were at the right place.

"Thanks..." she looked beside her, but the cloaked stallion was already gone. She took a sigh and went towards the other Celestia.

* * *

 **On the balcony...**

Celestia and Sunshine were about to turn back into the palace, but then Celestia felt a slight disturbance with her magic. Curious, she turned to see who or what it was. Because of how often weird things happened in her world, she was only half-surprised to see an alicorn that looked exactly like her flying up to the balcony. Smiling, she stepped aside to let her counterpart land while Sunshine looked on in surprise.

"Mom?" she managed as she looked to the alicorn's counterpart. Celestia giggled.

"It's alright, Sunshine. It's just an alternate version of myself," she reassured her daughter, then looked back to the other Celestia. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

"It's good to see you too," The other Celestia made a small nod. The first Celestia gestured to the Changeling who was slowly approaching the other alicorn.

"Tia, this is my daughter Sunshine. Sunshine, Princess Celestia," she introduced them to each other.

"Hi... Princess," Sunshine greeted shyly as she held out her hoof.

"Hello little one," Tia leaned towards the Changeling to nuzzle her. "It's really nice to meet you." Then she looked towards her counterpart and said, "Glad that you've your own bundle of joy." Then she got up up and gave her a slightly serious look.

"I need to talk you about something..." she said and looked towards the filly again. Celestia nodded in understanding.

"Sunshine, why don't you go to bed? I'll be there soon. Mamma needs to take care of something important," she told the Changeling.

"Okay Mom. I'll see you soon," Sunshine replied and trotted away. Celestia waited until she was out of hearing range, then turned to her counterpart.

"Is something wrong in your Equestria, Tia?" she asked. Celestia nodded at this.

"I sense a really disturbing energy surge," she said. "I'm unable to figure it out. It felt like something has... happened in the past, or maybe the future."

Tia looked grim. "That doesn't sound good at all. I'm guessing you want me to call William over, don't you?"

Celestia sighed. "Yes, that'll be really helping." Then after a moment of silence, she spoke. "Sorry, I really didn't want to disturb your time with your foal."

"It's alright," Tia replied. "I'll call him over now."

She looked out down towards Ponyville and her horn glowed brightly. In a few moments, TD and Twilight both appeared next to them looking a little sleepy. TD gave the two Celestia's a hard look, then groaned.

"Tia, I'm not in the mood for that kind of prank at this hour," he muttered.

"William, I don't think this is a prank," Twilight told him.

"It's nice to see you William," Celestia said to them "...and Twilight."

"Oh good! It's just a bad dre- ow!" TD yelped as Twilight's hoof smacked him in the back of the head. "Fine, I get the message. Tia- Joy's mother- what's wrong?"

"I think I'll just turn in now and leave you to it," Tia yawned.

"Goodnight Celestia," Twilight said to her former mentor as the alicorn sleepily walked back inside, leaving Joy's Celestia with the chaotic human and his wife.

"So, the reason I am here is..."

* * *

 ***Flashback***

Celestia was about to have a nap after spending some time with her son, and her grandfoals. It was a fine day and now she just wanted to have a good night sleep. After some moments when she closed her eyes, all of sudden she felt a sharp pain in her head followed by some blurred visions. She shot her eyes open as her heart was beating at a high rate.

"Something's really wrong!" She exclaimed and quickly got up to check for something. She went towards a certain room of the palace. Though it wasn't nice to sneak, she had to make sure that her son was alright as well as her grandfoals. Fortunately, all of them were sleeping peacefully.

 _Thank goodness, they're alright._

She said that to herself, but the feeling of the disturbance didn't go anywhere. All of sudden, she saw a cloaked pony figure was standing beside her. She got surprised at first and backed away from the figure. Her horn started to glow, ready to attack, but then he spoke.

"Look Celestia, I know you have no reason to believe me, but I can tell you're worried about the safety of Equestria as well as your son, right?"

"Yes, but who are you!?" She asked.

"You'll know me as a friend soon enough. I can't tell you anymore, but I can take you to someone who can help you this time," the stallion said.

"William?" She muttered then realized what he just said. "Wait- what do you mean... is Equestria in trouble again...?"

"Get ready!" he shouted and both of them soon disappeared.

* * *

 **Present...**

"And then I was brought here, and I saw my counterpart... And you know the rest," she finished.

"A disturbance like that... I've only felt it a few times before. I hope I'm wrong in my assumption," TD muttered.

"Do you think that we'll need some help?" Twilight asked him.

"Depends. Is it still night in your Equestria Tia?" the human asked Celestia.

"Yes, when I left my Equestria, it was night time," she replied.

TD smirked. "Then I think I know someone who's possibly awake at this hour."

He pulled out a whistle and blew into it, but no noise came out.

"Oh dear... is this the dog whistle?" TD asked. Right when he did, a burst of confetti appeared nearby and two familiar figures appeared before them.

"Nope. That was the right one," Twilight chuckled.

"Ah, it's you two," Celestia smiled with a surprised look on her face.

"Celestia? What a surprise!" Tracker greeted. He was looking slightly older than she had last remembered him, but otherwise he hadn't changed. Screwball also didn't look any older either.

"Next time, warn me so I don't end up almost falling down the stairs again," Screwball muttered sleepily.

"It's nice to see you," Celestia said. "So William, what's your plan for help?"

"Lemme see, I've said it before, but this time I say it like a caveman: Me no plan," TD explained as he raised his fingers into a snapping pose.

"Annnnnd, here we go again," Screwball chuckled as they disappeared from the balcony entirely.

* * *

As Celestia opened her eyes and looked around, she was back in her Equestria along with TD and the others.

"Well, glad we were right about that," TD commented, noticing the full moon out in the night sky above them. Tracker nodded, then transformed swiftly into his bat-like form. His fangs were now visible, his coat more ruffled up and his wings stronger than any normal pegasus or alicorn wings. The only feature that remained untouched were his eyes as they scanned the area about them. Screwball gave him a small smirk.

"I haven't seen that form in quite a while," she teased. "Maybe keep that for the next time we go out for the night?"

"Anything for you, beautiful," the vampire remarked with a smile.

"Aw!" TD exclaimed, earning a smirk from Twilight. "What?"

Celestia gave a giggle at this as well. Then she sighed in relief.

"Until now, everything seems... alright."

"But that feeling hasn't left," TD finished, frowning a bit as he moved along. "I can sense it too."

"And me," Screwball added. "Feels like someplace, somewhere the universe is holding its breath."

"As somepony who can't breathe, even for me that sounds disturbing," Tracker stated. Celestia nodded, then suddenly she felt a jolt of pain across her forehead.

"Ah, this again!" She grunted. TD frowned deeply at this, then looked to Screwball who seemed a little scared.

"Uncle..." she whispered.

"I know," TD said. "Whatever it is, it's here..."

Tracker sniffed the air, then hissed.

"I smell evil blood in the halls," he growled. Twilight looked to Celestia in alarm.

"Joy!" they both said together.

"Oh no! We should hurry!"

Celestia along with the others headed towards the halls. Tracker managed to be the fastest of them all, staying ahead as he tried to smell for the villain once more. TD was looking about him on all sides as they ran, wondering why the energy he felt was so familiar and yet so different.

 _Whatever that is, that's really powerful!_ Celestia thought. And after a few moments all of them were in front of the entrance of the halls.

"This is really... bad!" Celestia said to herself as she felt that energy passing across her.

"Calm yourself, Tia," TD said to her calmly. "Fear and faith can't reside in the heart at the same time."

As they entered the hall, a figure was seen standing before them, his body glowing with a blood red light. The light ceased to glow and they saw the figure clearly. It was wearing a dark grey hood and black jeans, and also had a small amount of facial hairs on his face.

"It should be the right place," it spoke in an older, but rather familiar voice. TD lifted his hands and a wall of fire suddenly leaped up in front of the figure, cutting off any means of him going in the direction he was headed and leaving TD and his friends with a clear shot to him.

"Turn around slowly!" TD warned, summoning more magic in his hands. "Don't make this hard."

"William?" He muttered. And then a cackle was heard as he turned around to see them. The others all gasped in alarm at who they were seeing, despite how much older he may have been.

"Joy?!" Screwball and Tracker yelled at the same time.

"No wonder the magic signature felt familiar," TD muttered.

"Surprised that you still recognize me... despite my new look," He smirked. "It's been a really long time since... your unfortunate death."

"Who's death? Mine?" TD laughed. "Buddy, I don''t work that way with alternate realities unless I want them to work that way."

"Not yours," he smiled as he looked towards Twilight and the others. "It wasn't even necessary to kill you"

"Oh? Then please, by all means, 'xplain yourself. Why are you here?" TD demanded. All this time, Tracker and Twilight had simply stared at this Dark Joy with a glare, but Celestia was stunned into silence at what she was seeing. It was actually... heartbreaking for her to see.

"It's none of your business!" Dark Joy said as his eyes glowed and thewall of fire got out of his way. He swiftly rushed towards the direction he was heading for. TD frowned.

"Just where do you think you're going?" He demanded and a beam of lightning fired from his hand and wrapped around Dark Joy's leg, somehow dragging him back to the chaotic human. At once, he grabbed the chain of lightning and gave it a strong jerk, making TD lose his balance.

"It's not gonna work!"

TD growled. "Well good thing I'm not alone..."

Screwball finally snapped out of her own surprise and smirked.

"Hey jerk boy!" she called. "I've got a nice hard boiled egg with your name on it!"

As she said this, a gigantic hard boiled egg appeared out of nowhere and smashed Dark Joy into a wall. Tracker shook his head in amusement.

"Oh, that's why I liked her from the start," he said to himself. In a moment, the egg was smashed into pieces and Dark Joy came in front of them. He growled with anger as his fists started to glow and he moved them in front of his face.

"Duplexus!"

All of sudden, many duplicates of him were standing in front of them. A smirk could be seen on their faces.

"Well, in a way, this got a little easier," Twilight chuckled.

"That's your plan?" Tracker taunted. "Give us more target practice?"

With a hiss, he threw himself into one of the clones with blinding speed, dispatching it with a single blow then doing the same to another clone before it could attack him. TD lifted his hands up and red electricity fired from his hands and hit all the other clones at once, the electricity chaining along all the others to create one long chain of electric death for the clones. All of sudden, all the clones disappeared; no one was left behind. They were not feeling his aura anymore. Then they realized what he was actually doing.

None of his clones was the original Dark Joy.

"Son of a [bleep]!" TD yelled, then snapped his fingers and disappeared. Unfortunately, he didn't end up bringing any of the others with him.

"So, I suppose he expects us to walk?" Twilight grumbled.

Meanwhile, TD had teleported to where he hoped Joy's bedroom was and looked around.

"Are you too afraid to fight me, you cowardly snake?!" he taunted aloud.

"What's the big deal?" Joy mumbled as he woke up from his slumber, realizing that TD was in his room. He was stunned to see him there

"WILLIAM!" he shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Gah!" TD jumped and somehow managed to hit the ceiling when he did, so he fell to the ground with a groan. He then struggled to his feet.

"Doesn't anyone give a warning anymore?" he grumbled. "Sorry Joy, but now is not the time for politics."

"Politics?!" He exclaimed in a whisper. "Look William, you know the time?"

"Joy, closed the door..." Suddenly, Bubble mumbled in sleep as she seemingly heard their voices. "Please..."

"Sorry Bubs!" TD whispered, then brought Joy outside his room while also secretly installing a shield around Bubble just in case. When that was cleared up, he looked to Joy.

"Do you really think I'd just show up at who-knows-what-hour without a good reason?" he asked, then more seriously, "You're in danger. A darker version of you has come to this world, and I guarantee he wants you dead!"

"Okay, I believe you William, but explain me, how does that make sense? If I'll be dead, then he'll cease to exist as well, so what reason is this?" Joy asked skeptically.

"He's an ALTERNATE version of you, Joy!" TD explained. "There's a hundred thousand of them out there like you, but with their own stories and whatnot. Heck, I've seen a few universes where you weren't even raised by Celestia or ones where Bubble isn't your future wife! Make sense now?"

"Maybe... that does now," Joy said sheepishly. "So, where is he now?"

"That's what I'm afraid of," TD muttered. "He managed to dupe us back in one of the other hallways, so I'm not sure where he went. But he's still here somewhere, that much I can tell."

In a while, Celestia and others arrived. Joy looked towards his mother. She looked really shocked, as if she'd seen something really horrible.

"Joy, are you... are you alright?"

"I am fine mother, but what happened to you...?" Joy asked with concern. "Are you alright?"

"She just saw an evil version of her son," TD remarked. "I'd be shocked too."

"William, don't be rude," Twilight warned.

"Joy! It's been a while," Screwball greeted, her spiral eyes giving him a friendly smile. Tracker also gave him a smile, which even in his vampiric form could be seen as genuine.

"I know, how are you my friends?" Joy asked. "Aside from the current situation!"

"We're doing fine," Tracker answered. "But now I'm starting to wish that we didn't have to come and save you so often."

"No offense Joy; it's nice to visit you from time to time, but this is starting to get old, if you catch my meaning," Screwball stated.

"Still, it's good to see you guys now and then," Joy smiled as he tried to lighten the situation.

"Incoming," TD said nonchalantly, then lifted his hand swiftly just in time to cause a magic blast to suspend in midair and then disintegrate into nothing.

"Clever!" A voice was heard as Dark Joy appeared once again. "I didn't expect that to be easy anyway."

He huffed as he said this. Joy looked towards his dark form and was stunned as well.

"Oh, I don't like this look."

"No kidding," TD muttered, then stared at the corrupted human. "Leave now, or I'll be forced to hurt you, boy."

"No," he replied. "I haven't come here to lose..." He spoke with rage in his voice. "I've defeated you once, and I can defeat you once again!"

"The future is not set in stone, and the possibilities of me winning are higher than you winning," TD stated. "Do you really wanna test those odds?"

Twilight's horn glowed as she looked to Dark Joy.

"You should also note that he's not alone," she growled

"Go ahead then... Make your move," TD taunted.

Dark Joy breathed heavily as his body began to glow with blood red aura. In a moment, he was fully surrounded by red light. When the glowing ceased, they saw that he was now floating in air while a pair of dark red wings were sprouting from his back. A weapon appeared his left hand. It looked like a dark version of Blazing Edge.

"Tacky," TD chuckled. "A ripoff of the original."

"I take that as an insult," Dark Joy deadpanned and charged towards him swiftly. "And I don't like this!"

Joy came in between his dark self and TD in his own winged form.

"Now, you're making me really angry!" Joy growled at him.

"And... here it comes," TD muttered. The weapon collided with each other as they kept looking into each other's eyes with a poisonous glare.

"There is no way you can defeat me."

"I don't care what you think!"

Suddenly a small explosion sent them away from each other. Joy end up smashing himself into TD and the other one was smashed into the wall.

"What was that?" Joy asked giving his head a small shake. TD looked between them, then sighed.

"You gotta be kidding me," he remarked. "Is this really what's gonna happen?"

"What?" Screwball asked.

"That's not just Joy's alternate self," Twilight explained. "That's his future self as well! It's causing a time paradox to occur, so they can't hurt each other without damaging the timeline!"

Dark Joy looked towards his hand as he give a sigh of relief. "I must have think about that..." he said, "Looks like... I need for another approach..." he said and looked towards a certain room. "Interesting."

All this said before he got up and disappeared. again. Joy looked towards that certain room and realized something.

"Sunny! Bold!"

Tracker's eyes turned red and TD looked just as mad without a change of eye color.

"Don't. You. Dare!" he shouted, teleporting into the room. He was forced to act fast though, because almost as soon as he teleported he saw Dark Joy approaching him. Without any other plan, TD placed up his strongest shield and barely prevented himself from suffering a terrible blow to the head. But Dark Joy kept smiling as he gave him a mischevious glare.

"Too late!" He said as two bubbles appeared floating over him. TD soon realized who was entrapped in them.

"Let them go," he snarled. "They're just kids."

"I know right!" He chuckled "Just children, I promise that they'll live... If you know what you've got to do to save them."

In a moment, the others were there as well. Joy looked towards his dark version who had a smirk on his face.

"Let my children go, you beast!" Joy shouted.

"Daddy!" Sunny cried. "Save us!"

"See you soon!" saying this, Dark Joy disappeared.

"NO!" TD roared, smashing the spot where he had just been at. "You monstrous brute! Where are you?!"

"No!" Joy shouted.

"William, where is he?" Twilight asked him.

"I'm looking, I'm looking!" TD snapped, then closed his eyes as he extended his senses as far as possible. He didn't sense them anywhere in Equestria or the rest of Equis. But something sneaky told him it wasn't going to be a cake walk, so he extended them even further. What he saw made him snap back into reality very abruptly.

"Oh, heck no!" he exclaimed. "You're in freaking TARTARUS?!"

"TARTARUS?!" Every one shouted in surprise.

"No!" Celestia cried as her eyes began to fill with tears. "That can't be!"

TD growled again, then gave them a determined look.

"I'm going down there," he said. "And I'm fixing this, like I've fixed everything else. I do not want you to follow."

"William, you can't do this alone!" Twilight argued with him. "We can-"

"No!" he shouted. "I'm not risking your lives!"

"I don't care what you say William!" Joy growled. "I don't care! They're my children, and I am coming there with you, whether you like it or not!"

TD gave him a slight glare.

"Fine. But I'm not taking anyone else," he stated, and then snapped his fingers making himself and Joy disappear.

"Aunt Twilight, are you really going to let him do this?!" Screwball demanded.

"Of course not," Twilight remarked. "Everyone stand close to me..."

* * *

They opened their eyes once again to see thar they were in the hellish realm of Tartarus. Rivers of fire or black water trailed off here and there, the air was filled with noxious red clouds, and the ground seemed to be a mixture of shards of glass or some kind of barren rock-like terrain filled with craters and valleys. TD looked at it with surprise.

"Sweet mother of Tia, what the h*ll is this?!" he remarked. "This is like Percy Jackson all over again!"

"Percy Jackson?" Joy said before shrugging this off. "Anyways, we better find him as fast as we can."

All around them were mostly barren lands and rivers of fire, and that made Joy really worried about his children.

"I am gonna crush his head!" he grunted in anger.

"He can't hide forever..." TD remarked, then felt a disturbance up ahead. "Bingo. That way!"

He pointed with his hand towards an area across the dark river.

"Don't fall in if you can help it," TD warned as he walked on air across it. "It's basically a river of despair so falling in... well, you'll feel ice cold, your strength will start to get sapped out of you, and you'll be compelled to just drown and join the poor souls in there."

"That doesn't feel so bad," Joy said with anger "As compared to what I am gonna do with him!"  
Unknown to them some glowing eyes were watching both humans roam through the dark river. They seemed pretty curious of whatever they were watching.

"Who are they?" A whisper was heard.

"Looks like they're from the surface," Another whisper answered.

"I've never heard about such creatures of the surface..."

TD stopped and looked around him.

"Joy... I have a bad feeling we're being watched," he muttered, then called out, "If there's anyone out there, I won't hurt you unless you intend me harm!"

"They heard us!" A voice said.

"You go there," another voice said.

"No, you!" Came another voice. "Okay, we will go..."

In a moment, out of a dark corner, two pairs of glowing red eyes appeared. As they came closer, they saw two female pony-like creatures. One of them had a red coat with two horns and a flaming mane along with another similar creature, only this one had a white coat and orange flaming mane.

"We are Infernal Equines," One of them said. "My name's Magma, and she's my sister Volcana!" She gestured to the other one.

TD looked to them with slight wariness. "Terror of Dimensions, or TD for short. Former villain. My companion here is Prince Joy Star of Equestria."

"Nice... to meet you," Joy replied.

"It's not usual to see somepony from the surface," Magma said.

"So, are you looking for somepony?" Volcana continued. TD nodded and lowered his guard, concluding that they were not hostile.

"We're looking for two foals," he explained. "They were taken down here by an evil version of my friend here. Have you seen them?"

They looked towards each other and then nodded.

"Yes, we may have seen him... but... they're in a restricted zone... it's really dangerous."

"For those two, we're willing to take any price," TD remarked. "You see... they... mean a lot to us, especially to my friend here."

"They're my children," Joy said. "Anyways... thanks."

"It's... okay," Volcana said and they both headed back to their place.

"Wait..." TD started, then sighed. "I should've asked for directions." He then looked to Joy. "How are you holding up? Tartarus has a way of slowly killing you over time."

"I am feeling... alright," Joy answered. "...until now."

TD nodded, then did something Joy did not expect; he walked over to one of the fire rivers nearby, summoned a cup in his hands, and then filled the cup with the liquid fire.

"Drink this," he said, holding it towards Joy. "It'll help for a while, but be warned that it's gonna taste like a chili pepper smoothie."

"Alright~" Joy said and took the cup. As he took a sip from the cup, the spicy taste of this felt like burning his tongue and throat. "It's too hot!" Then he tried to take another sip and this time he gulped up this rather quicly. "That was really... spicy!"

"There's a reason why I don't drink it," TD chuckled, then frowned as an orb of some kind floated in front of him. His frown turned into panic.

"Oh no..." he said. "We have to hurry! At the rate this atmosphere affects you, we don't have long until your kids give out!"

He started running across the plain now, skillfully avoiding the pits and other hazards that would slow him down in the slightest. But after only a minute, he stopped and gasped for breath, wheezing.

"Forgot to do that..." he muttered, then snapped his fingers and continued on.

"Are you okay?" Joy asked.

"Asthma," TD explained as he kept on moving. "I use a spell to keep it from coming back, but in places like this, I forget to redo the spell. In Tartarus, such things get canceled usually."

"Oh..." Joy sighed. "So... are we there yet?"

"Almost..." TD managed, then finally he saw a promising sight: two magic bubbles floating in midair and inside was Sunny and Bold.

"Found them!" he wheezed. "But no sign of his Royal Darkness."

"It's good!" Joy said, suddenly sprouting wings. "This is our chance! Acellero!" Joy shouted as he flew swiftly towards the bubbles. "I am coming my foals!"

TD knew that wasn't good news at any time, so he started off after the human. But as he did, he suddenly felt something greatly disturbing. Confused, he made his hand glow for a moment, then his eyes shot open wide.

"Joy, STOP!" he shouted desperately, using one of his command spells.

Joy tried to resist the spell while he managed to say, "Why?"

"Watch..." TD said to him, then shouted, "Fiik Lo Sah!"

A ghostly image of TD appeared near the bubbles, and right when it did, a beam of magic suddenly lashed out and with a single hit destroyed the image.

"That's why... Very powerful Hex Traps," he managed, then breathed loudly. "My heart is pounding."

Joy grunted desperately, punching a rock nearby. "What now?!"

TD looked up at the figures inside the bubbles. They did not look good; he could tell they were on their last legs.

"Unless you want to ask Dark Joy politely when you see him again, I'm gonna have to remove the Hex spells before I free them," he explained. "This is not gonna be pretty if I'm too slow..."

He took a deep breath, walked as close as he dared to where the trap was, then thrust his hand outwards towards it and began chanting darkly as he started to disable the spells guarding the two foals.

"Not so fast!"

All of sudden, the figure in question was standing before them. He looked towards Joy and spoke. "In all honesty, did you really think that this would be that easy?"

"You!" Joy shouted as he flew towards the figure. But now something was seemingly bit strange about this he looked a little... exhausted.

"I... thought you'd be here for your children."

"Why?" Joy asked. "Just why?"

"You really wanna know?" Dark Joy questioned as he clenched his fists and the bubbles started to shrink. TD noticed this and snapped his fingers. Another version of him appeared nearby, continuing the enchantment to break the hex spell. While that was happening, TD lifted his hands towards the bubbles, doing his best to keep them from shrinking any further.

"Do you have no conscience?!" he yelled. "No pity or remorse for these innocent souls?!"

"I lost everything... long time ago..." he replied with heavy breathing. "I... don't care..."

Joy came in front of him and landed a strong punch on his face. "I will not fail my children or my Bubble as you did!"

All of sudden, the bubbles stopped shrinking.

"Bubble?"

Because of how abrupt the stop of the shrinking had occurred, TD ended up accidentally expanding the magic prisons to quite a large size and made the hex spell attack them, destroying the foals' prison. They landed to the ground, where thankfully TD managed to catch them just as the hex spell wore off. He checked their conditions; they were still alive, but barely holding on.

"Hang in there, little ones," he said gently as he summoned another glass of Fire Water for them. "This is gonna be way too spicy, but it'll bring you back."

They barely drank the water from the glass, somehow managing to gulp down this spicy liquid. As they somewhat came to their senses,they noticed their father and TD. They got up and hugged him.

"Thank you so much Uncle William," Sunny said.

Joy smiled to see them alright and thanked the Creator for this, then he and TD both looked towards Dark Joy.

"No!" He grunted. "I've had enough of this!"

He extended his hand towards Joy and grabbed him by his throat. "I only have a little time left..."

"LET HIM GO," TD ordered with a Command Spell, at the same time shooting a beam of magic into the Dark human's hand.

"NO!" He shouted at the same time desperately trying to resist the spell. Then he let the human prince go, as he fell on his knees and a smirk appeared on his face. "You can't defeat me!"

At this, he transformed into a form which somewhat resembled a very hideous beast only TD recognized. It smirked as it looked towards him. TD looked shocked.

"You..." he managed, then loudly, "YOU!? What are you doing here? It's not your time yet!"

"Oh, is it?" Dark Joy remarked with a cackle. "You're all are so desperate to know that why I am doing this, so here is your answer!"

All of a sudden, TD saw many visions which explained everything he was confused about.

He saw a vision where Joy was learning about a new form of dark magic, unknown to his mother and anyone else. Then he saw that Bubble had came to know about his plans and tried to reason with him. But he declined to give up on his efforts, saying that he was the one who caused their destruction and he should do something to save them. "I have to save my people."

Then all of sudden, he saw an magical explosion in which Joy lost his children and wife. It was heartbreaking to see this. But that became even worse when Joy was unable to move on from this... He became a completely heartless person... hating every single thing he ever saw. And that was the time when a shadow came to light and offer Joy his help; that was when the beast took over his soul and made him what he was now. A cruel beast.

But recently, Dark Joy's existence was endangered by a change in the timeline, so he came back for just one purpose...

"You want to corrupt him too," TD growled. "You want to destroy his life too."

"Yes..." he hissed like a snake. "I'll be even stronger... after taking over him as well..."

"Well, you will not succeed!" Joy shouted.

"Fun fact: we do not give up too easily, and you will not be taking anymore lives today," TD remarked. He then placed a shield around Sunny and Bold. "Stay in the shield, kids."

They both noddded at this. Then Joy and TD both looked towards the beast.

"Now, where were we?" Joy asked.

"I believe it was around the lines of this feller getting humiliated!" TD smirked while cracking his fists. He lifted his hands and several chains restrained the fallen human. "Time for a mental makeover..."

The beast moved his arms to break the chains and with a loud crake he was free. "You can't defeat me that easily!"

"So looks like we've got to try harder!" Joy said and summoned his weapon. "William, are you ready?"

TD started to speak, but then a blast of magic struck the Beast in the back, followed by a blindingly fast grey object smashing right into him, sending him sprawling several yards away. TD turned quickly, for he recognized that magic like no other. His suspicions were correct; Twilight and the others were all approaching them from a distance, save for Tracker who was standing where Dark Joy used to be glaring at the fallen human as his eyes turned red.

"Twilight?! Tia?! What are you guys all doing here?!" TD demanded.

"Helping you out, of course!" Twilight called to him.

"You handle all your battles on your own, uncle!" Screwball added as she got beside her husband. And soon a pink alicorn descended with a bright pink flash near where Joy's children were standing.

"Joy, how dare you not tell me about this and coming in such a place all alone!"

"Bubble?" How did you...?" Joy asked but then smiled to see all of them. "Never mind that... I am sorry, my sweetheart."

"Incoming!" Screwball warned, placing up a brick wall with her magic just in time when a burst of magic fired from the Beast and almost hit one of them. TD sighed and made a crushing motion with his hands, which caused the Beast to suddenly get smashed into the ground by an unseen force and several snaps were heard from his body.

"This is getting boring," TD remarked. The beast growled once again, and got up to swiftly teleported towards Joy as he tried to stab him with one of his claws, saved only by his weapon.

"That is enough!" Joy shouted, throwing him away. The beast only growled in anger as he gave him a poisonous glare. But now it was very clear that he was getting weaker and weaker. Joy smiled to see this.

"William, he's getting weak now~" Joy said.

"Tartarus is taking its toll on him," TD stated. "Let's see if we can speed this along."

He made several swiping motions with his hands, and multiple bursts of magic struck the Beast, weakening him further. It was only a matter of time before the Beast was forced to give up; Tartarus would only speed up any damage done to him.

As the Beast was still recovering, Tracker flew by him with blinding speed. The result was a large bleeding gash in his arm, followed by a frying pan to the face by Screwball's magic. Then it was Bubble's turn to blast him with her magic.

"This was for hurting my foals!" She shouted.

All of sudden, the beast fell to the ground and hissed once again.

"You'll pay for that William!" he threatened. Then red light escaped from his body, disappearing in a flash, and his body began to transform into a normal human form. Then a dying sigh escaped him.

"Stop! Please Stop!"

TD held up his hand to signal them to stop.

"The Beast, it would seem, is no more," he said. "What's left... is the host."

"The host?" Joy asked. "You mean...?"

TD nodded. "I believe it's safe to assume that the other Joy Star is free of the Beast."

"So, what should we do now?" Bubble asked with a sigh of relief.

"He will not last here in Tartarus," TD replied. "It is already taking the last of his life out of him. The most we can do is try to help him onward I suppose."

"Okay..." Joy said as all of them went towards him. They could see that he was looking much weaker and fragile than before and was breathing slowly.

"What... are you going to do?" He asked.

"I could save your life, if you desire," TD answered. "However, if it is death you seek, I can give you that too and make sure it is swift." He gave the poor soul a sympathetic look. "What is it you wish for?"

"You know what I deserve, so just do it..." Dark Joy said.

"I know what you deserve, but not like this," TD stated. "If you are to die, it should not have to be in this forsaken place." He held out his hand to the fallen human. "You are beyond saving from death, but I can grant you the luxury of dying outside this pit if you'll let me..."

Though that he did some pretty bad things, TD, Joy, and the others were feeling really bad for him. He simply nodded at TD's offer.

"Yes."

TD smiled and took his hand. In an instant, all of them found themselves outside of Tartarus and at the top of a peak that overlooked Canterlot and Ponyville below. The sky was clear and the moonlight lit up the country of Equestria below at just the right angle, giving a perfect scene to gaze upon.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" TD asked Dark Joy.

"Yes, it is," He replied and tears began to fill his eyes. "I wish there would be a way so I could see her now..." He started to cry. "Or ask mother for forgiveness for my evils."

TD felt sympathy inside for the human before him, and thus decided to pull another one of his cards.

"Maybe you still can..." TD remarked. "I can arrange a visit for you two, but it will not be long and I must send you off afterwards."

"I can...?" He asked with hopeful eyes. TD's response was a small smile before making a gesture in front of him with his hands. As he did so, a familiar spiritual version of a certain alicorn appeared before him, along with her sister and a few others that were familiar to him. Twilight and the others were a bit in awe of what they were seeing.

"His entire family," Tracker managed. "He's allowing him to see them one last time before he too passes away."

"Mother," he spoke, looking towards her. "Aunt Luna, my sweetheart, my children, I only ask... if you can ever forgive me. I never wanted this to happen..."

For a moment, all was silent, then the spirits of his family smiled.

"It's not your fault, daddy," one of the figures, which appeared to be Sunny, told him gently.

"Your mind was not thine own when we were killed, dear nephew," Luna reassured him. "We know you never would have intended us any harm."

"We were never mad at you," Celestia responded. "We were sad because of what that beast had done to you."

"I'd never do such a thing!" He cried even more. "So, will you forgive me...?"

"Yes, and we forgive you my love," Bubble spoke at the end. "Now, know that I am still waiting for you... in a place where no beast will ever seperate us."

"But won't he be sent to the other place?" Screwball asked. Everyone looked to TD who simply smirked.

"Not on my watch," he replied. "Besides, if I'm correct about who is on duty in that realm, they owe me a favor. I'd say now's as good a time as any to cash it in."

TD snapped his fingers and a scroll appeared from the ground in a skeletal hand. He picked up the scroll, summoned a pen of some sorts, and wrote a short message on it, then closed it up as the hand disappeared into the ground.

"Here," he said to Dark Joy. "Take this. Show it to the ones who judge you. It'll grant you safe passage and reunite you with your family."

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed their images, Dark Joy included, starting to fade.

"It seems your time is short," TD remarked, then passed another smile. "When you join them in Elysiam, I'm sure they aren't the only family that will be waiting for you... Zane Lumino."

"Zane Lumino?" Joy remarked with a surprised expression as the other raised an eye brow in the same expression.

TD chuckled. "Your birth name; it's Zane Lumino. Figured you should know."

As the chaotic entity finished speaking, the figures before him faded away even as he gave them his final send off.

"Farewell, my friend. May you all find peace in death," TD said softly, and then they disappeared completely. TD, however, continued to stare out into the distance for a moment longer in silence. He had passed away, but it wasn't a charming sight. Bubble was about burst with tears as well as her children, but Joy was only silent at everything he just witnessed. All he understood was that a dark version of him destroyed his family as well as his Equestria, and with no reason to start with other than his will to revive his world, which led him to submit his soul to that beast.

 _So, am I destined to be alone, or else... I'll end like him?_ A thought came to his mind.

"Joy..." TD spoke aloud, catching his attention. "What troubles you?"

"I don't know..." he replied. "I am not sure..."

"Now don't hide it from us," Screwball chided lightly. "We can tell something's bothering you about him. Does this have to do with the fate he was given?"

"Maybe... yes it does." He sighed "I mean what did he do to deserve such fate...?"

"I've learned that sometimes, it has nothing to do with what somepony did to deserve such a fate," Twilight told him. "Sometimes, bad things happen because of the actions of bad people."

"Many who deserve death get life, and some who deserve to live die," TD added. "We can't always fault our own actions for the harm that comes to us or our families." He turned back to Joy to give him a somewhat serious expression. "Your alternate self was in a broken state, one that left him in an easily swayed state of mind. The Beast knew this, so he manipulated him and promised something he never intended to keep." He gave Joy a smile. "But that does not mean you will end up the same way. The future is not written in stone; what we do today can influence our future tomorrow. We may not wish for bad things to happen; no good person does who lives to see such times, but that's not for us to decide. All we must decide is what to do with the time given to us, whether that be a day or a million years."

Joy smiled. "I think best thing to do is to live and cherish every moment you've with your family."

"Exactly," TD agreed. "And if there's something strange in your neighborhood, who do you call?"

"Ghostbusters!" Screwball shouted, then realized what she had done and looked embarrassed. "Wrong topic?"

"Wrong topic, but thanks anyways," TD said with a giggle. Joy and Bubble chuckled at this.

"I know, and thanks once again, William," Bubble said to him.

"You're welcome Bubs," TD remarked, earning a glare from Twilight. "What? I give a nickname to just about anyone I know on a personal level. This shouldn't be new!"

Just then, a portal appeared behind them, and Screwball and Tracker both made a mock sigh of relief.

"Once more, The Terror of Dimensions is saved by the inconvenient timing of portals," the chaotic mare stated in a mock announcer voice.

"Though in all seriousness, it did kinda save him a bit," Tracker admitted.

"That's alright Twi," Joy said with a snicker. Twilight gave him a smirk.

"Oh, I am so getting back at you for that," she teased, then gave a small sigh. "Guess this is goodbye again."

"Never gets any easier," TD partly sang to himself. He then looked to Celestia. "Are you good, Tia? Not only did you look like you've seen a ghost, but you also have been rather quiet."

"I'm... alright," She answered with a sigh of relief. "I was just thinking about that beast... he's still out there somewhere..." She looked towards the horizon. "Who knows what's he planning to do next..."

"It's me he's after," TD replied. "I'm a Guardian of Existence, he was imprisoned by the ones before me; he wants revenge."

"Why it's always you?" Bubble asked almost suddenly. "Well, never mind..." she shrugged.

"So let's put this straight, he was able to defeat you in one future... and destroyed a whole world, and now he's after you and your Equestria..." Joy said and received a nod from his friend. "It means you know about this creature already, don't you...?"

"Well yes and no," TD explained. "And by defeat, he managed to banish me. He never managed to kill me. Also, that was a future version of me; hence the reason I don't know much."

"Okay..." Joy smiled with reassurance. "I hope not to get in any trouble anytime soon now."

Bubble giggled at this as well. "I hope so too." Then she smiled lightly. "Okay I guess, goodbye now."

"Goodbye my friends," TD nodded, then knelt down as Screwball and Tracker chuckled.

"I guess it doesn't need explanation, but..." Tracker started.

"Group hug!" Screwball cheered, starting with Twilight, TD and Tracker, then gesturing to Joy and his family to join in. And so they did, and shared a big group hug with them.

"Goodbye you guys," Screwball said. "Take care, all of you."

"And if you need us, just give us a call," Twilight added. They pulled away and TD gave them a smile.

"Cya in the future, however long that'll be," he remarked cheerfully. He and his family turned and started to go through the portal. Before it closed, TD seemed to realize something.

"Oh! I forgot to give you these! Catch!" he called, and several objects came flying through the portal. Joy and his family caught them, as there was one for each of them as well as a few extras, then examined the objects. They turned out to be some kind of beautiful amulets that were in the shape of small hearts that opened up. When opened, it revealed a group picture of their family alongside TD's family and a few other friends: Red the Hedgehog and his family, Bill and Fiona Prower, and Cold Winter.

"Something to remember us by!" TD called to them as the portal started to close. "Adios!"

The portal closed fully and then there was silence...

"They're beautiful..." Celestia said with a giggle as she admired the amulets. She then said, "Now, let's head back to the palace. Or would you like to stay here?"

"I think we'll be staying here for a while," Bubble answered. "You can take the foals back to the palace though."

"Allight mom," Bold said. "Let's go sis."

Sunny gave her parents a hug, and then a cute smile.

"Okay, I understand," She giggled. "See you later!" Bold and Sunny got next to Celestia and they teleported back to the palace where Luna was waiting for them. She was glad to see that they were alright.

"So, what happened sister?" she asked, noticing that her nephew and niece-in-law were missing. "Where are they?"

"They're fine sister," Celestia replied. "Just wanted to spend some time alone." She then gave her the heart-shaped amulet. "Here, William gave one to each of us."

"Oh, it's so beautiful sister!" Luna exclaimed.

 **Meanwhile, back with Joy and Bubble...**

The two of them sat side by side, watching the beautiful sky together.

"Beautiful, right?" Bubble asked her husband.

"Yes, very beautiful," Joy replied. They were silent for a moment, then Bubble spoke again.

"Joy, I want to tell you something," she told him.

"Sure Bubs, what is it...?" Joy inquired. Bubble blushed heavily as her horn started to glow with pink aura. Joy's hand glow with the same color and was placed on her belly. Joy blushed as well.

"Really? I mean..."

"Yes... my sweetie."

* * *

 **Am I the only one who saw that coming? XD Leave a comment about it if you'd like.**

 **Thanks _Admirer Boy_ for the assist on Joy and his family, as always! I'll cya guys in the next chapter if it comes to that. Buh bye!**


	48. Nightblade Gets The Girl (Bc I'm Cheeky)

**Say what you want... I am just a big collab and/or crossover shipper at this point! XD**

 **Nightblade, let's fix that relationship problem of yours!**

* * *

It's been two years since the Golden Oaks Library was restored by Nightblade Sparkle and his retirement of being a Dimensional Guardian was well underway. Currently, Blade was creating his Armor Tech Prototype in the basement of the Library.

"Alright, the Prototype X-Python is going well," he said to himself aloud.

While he was working, there was a knock from up above and he heard Fluttershy's voice call out, "Um, Nightblade? Are you in here?"

"Yeah, I'll be up there in a sec!" Blade Shouted from the basement.

"Okay! I'll be waiting," Fluttershy replied. Blade covered the Prototype with a white tarp and he got out of the basement.

"What's Up?" he asked.

"I was wondering if we could probably have a talk," Fluttershy told him. "About you and Applejack."

Blade blushed a bit.

"Um... okay..." He said. Fluttershy gave him a smile, then she spoke.

"I understand that your own Applejack back in your Equestria... well, no details needed," she said gently. "But I couldn't help but notice that you seem to have some form of attachment towards my Applejack. Why is that? Does she remind you of her much?"

"Well... Yes of course," Blade answered.

"So why haven't you said anything to Applejack?" Fluttershy inquired.

"I'm afraid of what'll happen if she says no," he muttered.

"Is that any excuse to ask and bottle up your feelings?" Fluttershy asked. "You'll never know unless you tell her. And even if she says no, Applejack's too kind to make a big deal out of it." She chuckled. "Unless it was something to do with Flim and Flam."

Blade chuckled a bit. "Well... Maybe you're right, I guess," he said.

"I know I am," Fluttershy giggled. "Now all you have to decide is when it's a good time to tell her." She gave him a grin. "And perhaps the girls and I could 'unintentionally' be involved."

Blade stared blankly at Fluttershy.

"Really..." he muttered. She giggled again and gave him a wink.

"I'm just messing with you!" she replied. "But in all seriousness, I'll leave that part to you."

"Thanks Fluttershy," he said with a smile.

"Of course! If you need anything, just let me know," she answered, then trotted out of the library. As Fluttershy got to the front door, she was a bit surprised to see the mare they had been talking about standing at the door.

"Oh! Applejack! What brings you here?" she asked.

"Ah was returning that book Ah borrowed," AJ answered. "Did Ah interrupt anything?"

"Oh, no. We were just finished talking," Fluttershy told her. "Well, I'd better head back to the castle. Goodbye!"

Fluttershy left the building as Applejack gave her a nod and trotted inside. When she noticed Nightblade, she smiled.

"Well, howdy Nightblade! How're ya doin'?" Applejack asked.

"Just creating some armor in the Basement and talking to Fluttershy when done," he answered.

"Oh, alright," she replied and pulled off her hat where the book had been balanced on her head the whole way. "Here ya go! As promised, returned just in time."

"Thanks AJ!"

He put the book back on the bookshelf.

"So, how's your armor comin' along?" Applejack inquired. "Ah think Ah saw it once, and Ah'd like to see what it is you're working on."

"Well okay, but it's a Prototype and I have to do a field test today," He told her as he looked at a clipboard he was holding.

"That's alright. Ah'd like to watch if that's alright with ya," she reassured. "For some reason, technology has started to grow on me... to some extent."

"Welcome to Advanced Technology, AJ!" He exclaimed as they went to the basement. "You can tell everyone about this if you want."

"Nah, Ah'll let it be a surprise for them," she remarked with a chuckle. "Can't have everything spoiled for ya."

"Well alright then. I've put the cover on my armor," he stated, as he checked on his Prototype. Upon seeing the armor, Applejack's expression lit up with admirable curiosity. She examined it up and down with a skeptical eye, then smiled.

"Mighty fine work, Nightblade. Ah've never seen its equal even among the Royal Guards," she congratulated. "This is the kind of armor that anypony would be honored to wear."

"Well of course, but this armor is only for Special Troops who can use this," Blade explained.

Applejack nodded, then gave him a smirk. "Well, are ya gonna try it on or do ya need a hoof in perfecting it?"

"I'm gonna test this on the open field, so yes I'm wearing this," he stated.

"Then Ah'd better warn Pinkie's hive so they can clear out any of the young ones that may be in the area," Applejack noted. "Ya want me to give them anything specific?"

He smiled. "Tell them I have a surprise for them."

"Alrighty then!" AJ gave him a supportive smile. "Cya soon!"

"See ya!" He smiled.

* * *

Outside on the field, Applejack managed to give a fair warning to all the Changeling children in the area, so by the time Nightblade came outside to test his armor, the field was clear enough for a safe testing. Blade was in his Mobian Form and he looked at his clipboard to checked the armor.

"Okay and... Let the test begin," he said.

"Go for it, sugarcube!" Applejack encouraged. Blade put on his armor and it powered up.

"ARMOR STORM Z ACTIVATED," the Armor spoke.

"Alright, first test: Close Combat," He said, creating holograms of Dark Gaia's minions.

In the distance, several Changelings cheered and Applejack watched with interest.

"Activate Lightning Claws!" He Yelled.

"ACTIVATING."

The gauntlets of the armor turned into claws and Blade dashed to the enemies and slashed into the Deep Nightmares.

"Yeah! Get 'em! Get 'em!" the Changelings cheered.

"Easy there, tough guys!" Applejack joked. "Save it for an actual battle."

"Lightning Barrage!" Blade's claws began to spark and he slashed the Deep Nightmares again, stunning them. Everyone watched in silence this time, as if anticipating what he'd do next. Applejack had a small smirk on her face.

"Well Ah'll be darned if he ain't one of the best Ah've seen," she said to herself. Blade Finally Removed all of the Deep Nightmare Holograms.

"Deactivate Lighting Claws!" he ordered.

"DEACTIVATING..."

The claws retracted back into the gauntlet.

"Okay, second test: Durability and Heat." Blade created a Flame Turret and the turret began to shoot fire at Blade.

"HEAT DETECTED, ACTIVATING SHIELD!" the armor screeched. A white-bluish dome surrounded Blade as the fire connected and he remains unharmed.

"Whoa!" the Changelings remarked in awe.

"That there must be hotter than a ghost chili pepper smoothie," Applejack commented.

Sorry readers, that was the best I could come up with...

The flame turret stopped shooting and disappeared, then Blade's shield disappeared also.

"Alright, the Nano Shield is stable," Blade noted. "Okay, final test: Transformation..."

Blade pressed a button, then the chestplate and armor glowed.

"ACTIVATING GALAXY STORM TRANSFORMATION."

"Galaxy Storm?" a Changeling wondered. "That sounds awesome!"

"But what does that mean? He'll summon a storm or is it just a morphing thing?" another wondered.

"How about we watch and find out?" Applejack suggested with a smile. Blade's armor transformed into a black beast with blue flames flowing at the gauntlets and shoulders.

"RAH!" Blade howled.

"Okay... I did not see that one coming!" the oldest Changeling remarked.

"Wow..." Applejack was speechless. The hologram created two Dark Titans and a Dark Guardian. Blade crossed his arms and rushed at the Dark Guardian.

"Godzilla much?" Applejack teased, watching the fight pan out.

"I know, I know, but it's a work in progress..." Blade explained, then used his claws to attack the Dark Guardian. However, it blocked the attack with it's hammer while the two titans began to smash Blade with their giant clubs.

"Ooo!" the Changelings grimaced.

"Should we... help him?" another asked.

"Ah'm... not sure," Applejack admitted, though her face was lined with worry. As soon as she finished, a burst of energy shot up and destroyed the Dark Titans with ease, leaving the Dark Guardian.

"Never mind," the Changelings declared. Blade stared at the Dark Guardian as it rushed towards him.

"Alright, time for the Grand Finale!" Blade shouted, then raised his right claw and a black orb formed in his palm. Everyone was once again silent as they watched to see what he'd do. The black orb is fully charged up, and then...

"ERROR! ERROR! SYSTEM OVERHEATING! SHUTTING DOWN..."

The armor ejected Blade and he plopped down to the ground.

"Ow..." He groaned. The Dark Guardian hologram disappeared and Blade got up.

"Aww!" all the Changelings exclaimed in disappointment while Applejack rushed over to Blade.

"Ya okay there?" she asked him. "That was a bit of a fall ya took."

"Yeah... I'm okay, but I forgot to put the Cooling System on. I need to do that or else it will-" The Armor blew up and pieces of it armor fell down. "Blow up..." he finished.

Applejack sighed. "Sorry 'bout your armor. Ah can help ya fix it if ya want. Ah got nothin' to do today anyways; it's my day off at the orphanage."

"Nah it's just a prototype. I have three replicas of it and I have to put the Cooling Systems on it," he reassured.

Just then, a small cartoon bird walked by them and started calling out, "Air waid! Wights out! Toltal bwackout!" He then turned to AJ and Blade. "Bweak it up, putty tats! Bweak it up!" He then turned away and repeated his last call. Applejack gave it a glare as if reading an unspoken message behind what he was saying.

"You can guess who that was," she muttered.

"Heh, that's gonna be an handful," Blade said.

"TURN OUT THOSE LIGHTS!" the bird suddenly yelled intimidatingly, causing the Changelings in the area to fly off. Then with a laugh and a flash of light, the bird turned into... well I don't think you need much brainpower to know who it was.

"You lovebirds gonna just sit there or help me with cleanup?" TD asked them as he started to cause chunks of metal to levitate off the ground while in pony form.

"Lovebirds?" Applejack blushed. "Ah don't know what you're implying, but... we- we're not- uh, I mean- uh..."

"We're not, uh. I mean, uh. We're not- Blah, blah, blah! I never lie!" TD joked, putting on a Night at the Museum Abe Lincoln voice. Blade shook off his blush and he helped TD with pickup.

"Alright, but the pieces of the armor will be used for something," he remarked.

"You know, if you have extra scrap, send it down to my place and I'll send it to Red," TD suggested. "He makes all kinds of things with just scrap."

"Why are ya here, William?" Applejack asked him. "Weren't ya supposed to be up at Canterlot?"

"Well... when you have my powers, you can get away with a lot of things, AJ," TD giggled.

She glared at him. "Ya didn't."

"I did. Am I cheeky or what?" the human laughed.

"Cheeky as ever," Blade agreed as he put the broken armor pieces in the sack.

"So, any plans for tonight you two?" TD asked with a sly smirk.

"We ain't a couple, if that's what you're implying," Applejack remarked.

"Aha, not YET you aren't," TD replied.

"Well now that you're thinking of it... I do have plans," Nightblade remarked.

"Ya do?" Applejack looked to him.

"Really? And what's that?" TD inquired with his smirk never fading.

"I'm not gonna tell, but I'll give you a hint: nighttime at the hill," Blade told him.

"Well then, be more specific for the audience at home when I'm gone," TD declared. "I gotta go!"

With a glow of his horn, he disappeared and Applejack snorted.

"Sometimes he's too cheeky for his own good," she stated. "Glad he's gone though. That was becoming a bit personal."

Blade Teleported the sack full of broken armor to the lab

"Well I have no plans tonight and well... how about we hang out for a while?" he suggested.

"Are ya askin' me out, sugarcube?" Applejack questioned with a small smirk.

"W-well... If you want," he stammered.

Applejack grinned. "Anyplace you'd like to meet?"

"I know a place..." he managed as he transformed into his alicorn form.

* * *

That night in Ponyville, Blade and Applejack could be seen lying down on the soft grass at the hill of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Watching the stars is beautiful, am I right?" Blade asked.

"Yeah, they are beautiful," Applejack agreed. "Ah remember sometimes as a foal Ah'd sneak out of my bedroom on nights when Ah was troubled and spend hours gazing up at the stars." She sighed happily. "It's quite relaxin' for me."

"Yeah... me too," he said. For a moment, neither of them said anything and continued to watch the stars. Then Applejack looked back over at Nightblade.

"So why did ya ask me out?" she asked. "Not that Ah'm complainin' or anything; just call me curious."

Blade sighed. "In my Equestria, I asked my Applejack out everynight when we had free time," he explained.

"Oh, Ah see," she nodded. "Ya still miss her sometimes, don't ya?"

"Yes but... she has him now," Blade said. Applejack placed a hoof on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Ah understand," she told him. "It's hard to ignore, but ya can't let the thought bog you down. Ah know somepony in my family who let the thought drag him down... it didn't end well, sugarcube." She passed a smile. "But for what it's worth, Ah can assure you Ah am not the kind to break one's heart in any manner, regardless of the level of the relationship we're in."

He looked at AJ and smiled a bit. "Yeah, sure hope so..."

Applejack smiled back, then looked up just as a shooting star passed by overhead.

"Made a wish yet?" she teased.

"Heh! Wishes are for kids, y'know," Blade chuckled a bit. "But... I only made a tiny bit of a wish."

"Well, Ah hope it comes true," she answered. "Personally, Ah don't think wishes are just for kids. They may not be as encouraged when ya grow older, but that don't make them any less important." She sighed. "Ah've been waitin' for mine to come true for quite a while now."

"Whats your wish?" Blade asked.

Applejack smirked. "Now ya know that it won't come true if Ah tell ya." She giggled a bit, then sighed. "Ah've never believed that last part, so Ah'll tell ya. My wish... is to find somepony to settle down with." She looked back at him. "Ya probably understand. Twilight's got William, Rare and Spike managed to get together, Pinkie's got Chuck; most my friends and even their children have somepony special in their life, but Ah haven't had any such luck."

Blade thought about this for a bit, then he got up on his feet.

"Well I think this will change your life around," he said.

"What do ya mean?" she asked, standing up as well. Blade moved closer to AJ.

"Well I know it might be delightful to say this but..." He blushed.

"What- are you-?" she stammered. Before she could say more, Blade booped AJ on the nose.

"Got ya!" Blade chuckled. Applejack's eyes opened wide, then she smirked.

"Oh no ya didn't," she said.

"The Booping is contagious y'know..." He smiled.

"Well, very few actually get that privilege without having my back legs buck them into a tree," she remarked, then smiled herself. "But Ah might make an exception for ya. In fact, Ah think Ah should return that favor."

Quickly, she booped him as well. Blade blinked, and then he chuckled.

"Okay, okay! We're even," he smirked. Applejack chuckled again, then noticing the time of night she gave him a glance.

"Ya know, the night's still pretty young and Ah've got time before Ah should head to bed. So do ya have anything else in mind?"

"Well I think that we should do... wait what's that?" Blade looked up at the sky to see a bright light coming closer to them.

"It looks like a comet or something," AJ remarked. "Though Ah don't think it's slowin' anytime soon. Should we be worried?"

"No... it's... It's!" The orb of light hit Blade and he staggered. "Ow... It's just a Gaia Orb..." Blade looked closer and his eyes widened. "A GAIA ORB!" he yelled.

"What's a Gaia Orb?" Applejack asked. "It sounds important."

"A Gaia Orb is the most powerful energy source for The Dimensional Guardians. It can double the user's power when activated," he explained.

"But why is there one here now?" she wondered. "Do ya think it has some significance for being here when it is?"

"I think there's a chance that The Gaia orb follows Creation Magic, like me for example..." Blade threw the Gaia Orb and it teleported next to him. "See?"

"Wow..." Applejack remarked. "So... what now?"

"I'll be keeping this and tomorrow we'll have our alone time, okay?" Blade said.

"Alright," she agreed. "See ya then, sugarcube."

She trotted off back towards the farm, leaving him alone on the hillside with the orb. Blade sat down and sighed.

"What should I do now...?" he mumbled.

"You can talk to me, my hopeful student."

Blade recognized the voice as the orb glowed and transformed into a white wolf with glowing eyes of the same color.

"L-Lord Solaris!" He bowed to his former mentor.

Solaris chuckled. "You may rise, young Nightblade, and tell me everything."

* * *

"Papers, please," TD joked as AJ came to the doors of the library the next morning. He had somehow set up a booth of some kind outside the door and Applejack was giving him a slight glare.

"Really William?" she deadpanned.

"You're no fun, AJ," TD muttered as he let her by. "At least Rarity tries to play along. Emphasis on 'tries'."

"Hey Nightblade? Ya in here?" the earth pony called out, ignoring the human's remark.

"Yeah I'm here! Be there in a sec!" the alicorn called.

"You seem eager to see him, AJ," TD teased. "Am I sensing a pattern?"

"Don't ya have anypony else you could annoy for a good ten or fifteen minutes?" she asked him.

"Well... yeah. Rarity is still expecting a prank call in the next five minutes. Guess I should rehearse," he admitted. "Later!"

With a burst of flames, TD disappeared, just as Blade opened the door to the basement.

"Hey AJ!" he greeted her.

"Howdy Blade!" she greeted back. "How've ya been?"

Eh... same old re-organizing the books," he answered. Applejack nodded. She had been in a library once for volunteer work, and she knew how daunting a task that could be.

"So, anything up today?" she asked. "And did ya manage to get that orb thing taken care of?"

"Well... Um... The Orb... is really my..." he mumbled the last part.

"Come again? Ah didn't catch the last part," she remarked. Blade breathed in and out.

"The orb is really my old mentor," Blade said.

"Mentor? Wow, sounds like you had quite the life before," she commented.

"Yes. He taught me how to use my powers carefully, and at my final test I passed and became a Dimensional Guardian," he continued.

"Golly! That sounds mighty exciting!" she exclaimed. "So, was he just stopping by to say hello?"

"Yeah, and he wants to spar with me one last time before he goes back," Blade explained.

"Ah, that sounds nice. So, should Ah leave ya be then so as not to get in your way?" she inquired.

He smiled. "No not at all, I told him that I want everyone see me sparring my mentor, and he agreed."

"Oh! In that case, Ah guess I could stay and watch for a while," AJ said with a shrug. "By the way, who else did ya want to have watchin' ya?"

"Everyone in Ponyville and Pinkie's hive," he boldly declared.

"Well then, get ready to have a crowd!" Applejack laughed. "Ah'll let 'em know! See ya out there!"

"Okay then..." he replied. AJ rushed outside, heading first for the Castle of Friendship and presumably the hive nearby. As soon as she was gone, Blade heard a voice nearby.

"Aw, the tenderness and obviousness is making me feel so warm inside," the voice stated, and then Discord appeared in a flash of light.

"Oh, Discord. What is it?" Blade asked.

"I just thought I'd come on by and see how this place turned out," the Spirit of Chaos responded innocently. "I haven't seen this place at it's peak glory for almost thirty years or so! But I couldn't help overhearing your chat with AJ in the process."

"Wait... you heard me and AJ talking about the spar between me and my former mentor?" Blade demanded.

"But of course! I was right here beside you, ya know," Discord stated. "And I may be wrong, but it sounds to me like you and AJ are rather- what's the word you use? Close."

"Well... Um... Maybe... We are," he muttered.

"Ah ah ah! There's no maybe in the matter," Discord chided. "You are hooked; I can tell already. So why don't you take a seat for a moment?"

Suddenly, Blade found himself lying on a kind of couch or bed with Discord sitting nearby on a chair with a notebook and a pen.

"Now then, tell me... When did this all start?" he questioned, as if he was a therapy doctor or something of the sort.

"It started when I showed everyone The Orb of Memories two years ago," Blade said.

"Mhm," Discord nodded and wrote something on his notebook. "Fluttershy told me about that. It must've been hard on you. So then, why this AJ? I mean, you haven't known her for very long. Is there something about her that you find... alluring then?"

"Well... I do fond with her, her Southern accents make my heart jump for joy... AJ is honest, kind, caring, and she's beautiful..." He blushed at the last part.

"Aha, I see," Discord noted. "So then why haven't you said anything to her?"

"It's not yet the right moment to confess," Blade answered.

"And what makes you think that?" Discord inquired, closing his notebook. "Have you ever considered the possibility that maybe she's been having a thing for you too? I mean, she let you in on her wish that other night. She never told anyone about this outside her circle of friends, myself included." He then added, "And in case you're wondering, I only know that part thanks to the author."

We good, Dizzy!

"Don't call me that," the chaos spirit huffed.

Whatever, man...

"Really?" Blade asked.

"Of course! If AJ is willing to share some of her darker secrets with you, that must mean she trusts you. And besides, I've seen how she looks at you. Thought you were the only one among the two of you doing the 'observing'?"

Discord, no. I'm trying to stay PG.

"Well, what would you like me to say then?"

How about not go there period? BTW, can you even hear me Nightblade?

"Yes I can, thank you very much. But I don't want to break the 4th Wall, and I already know that Soul is screaming about it right now..." Blade remarked.

* * *

 ***Meanwhile***

Soulblade was screaming and running in circles.

"WHO BROKE THE FOURTH WALL?!" he yelled.

* * *

 ***Back to Nightblade***

"Yeah, pretty difficult for him," he muttered.

Apologies then... though with me he'll just have to get used to it.

"Anyways, back to what we were discussing earlier," Discord stated. "Yes, AJ, it would seem, has eyes for you as well. Not sure why, though, but that may just be me."

"Okay. Thanks Discord, but I have to go now. The Spar will start in five minutes," Blade replied, looking at the clock.

"Go slay 'em, tiger," Discord sounded off, and then he was gone. Five minutes later, Blade arrived on the field.

"Okay, looks like everyone is here," he noted with a smile.

"Yeah! Yahoo!" Pinkie cheered loudly, even though nothing had happened yet. However, she was thankfully not alone, as the others started cheering as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fillies and gentlecolts, all creatures great and small!" TD announced as if on a loud speaker. "Welcome to the fight of the week you've all never heard of until recently!"

"It's not a fight TD. It's only a Spar with an old Mentor," Blade said bluntly.

"Same thing in my book," TD laughed and looked around. "Now where's the challenger? If the challenger does not reveal himself in five minutes, he will be disqualified."

"William, stop messing with their heads!" Twilight's voice called in the crowd. TD made a mock gasp of anger.

"I demand to know who said that!" he called out, clearly joking. Then all saw The Orb and a bright light surrounded it and transformed into Blade's Mentor.

"Greetings! I am Solaris The White Flame and God of Mobius," Solaris greeted everyone.

"A god?" a lot of voices murmured.

"Oh dear," TD muttered, then added, "Are you one of the good ones? No offense, but I've ran into too many of the shady types."

"Yes. My student Nightblade told you of my Battle when I was succumbed by the powers of Dark Gaia's energy. But thanks to Sonic The Hedgehog and my student, they manged to free me from the Darkness in my heart," he explained.

"In short, he was bad once and now he's good again," Blade finished.

"Aha... Well, as long as you don't try to attack this world, be my guest to stay," TD nodded. "You know the rules, so I expect a good spar. Ready, set... let's get ready to RUMBLE!"

TD's last words echoed for miles as he teleported into the audience. Blade and Solaris both dashed towards each other, meeting halfway with their own attacks. They blocked each others attack, then Blade summoned his most favorite weapon: a pair of short scythes.

"Ah... The Star Seeker Scythes. Very impressive, my old student," Solaris commented, then summoned his Golden Shield and Sword. Blade jumped and threw one scythe at his former mentor, but Solaris raised his shield to block the attack. Blade grabbed his scythe and he dealt a flurry of attacks to his mentor, but Solaris dodged the attack.

"I see you've trained well and hard," Solaris complimented. He raised his sword and both warriors' weapons clashed.

"I've learned so much from when I was a Dimensional Guardian," Blade answered with a smile. Solaris and Blade started to clash their weapons against each other over and over, until Solaris got the advantage and he kicked his former student in the chest. Blade was launched back from the attack and hit at a tree, but quickly recovered.

"I barely got a scratch," he remarked and dashed back towards his mentor.

"Don't get overconfident my student," Solaris warned, then he dashed towards his Former Student.

"And this is the part where I win!" Blade exclaimed and he raised his scythes and moved in for a final attack.

"I think not, my student..." Solaris fully charged his powers and transferred it to the sword in his hands.

"Gaia Dash!"

"Celestial Slash!"

Their weapons clashed one last time and for a while stayed that way, until their weapons flew up to the sky and and crash landed to the ground.

"You fought well, young Nightblade" Solaris panted.

"You too Teacher," Blade also panted and they shook hands, making it a draw. There was a thunderous round of applause that followed, which because the majority of the audience was on the ground sounded like a stampede of some kind. At least the airborne spectators managed not to make it sound like such.

"Way to go, Nightblade!" several of the girls cheered.

"Yeehaw! What a fight!" Applejack hollered.

"Well, I'd say overall this was a total success!" TD remarked. "Well done!"

"Thanks everyone!" Blade called out while smiling. Solaris smiled at his student and he ruffled his fur.

"Alright everyone, show's over! Let's give them room to breathe," TD started ordering, as several clones of himself were already working at the cleanup duty. Applejack trotted over to Nightblade and gave him a big hug.

"Way to go, sugarcube," she said to him. "That was a well-fought battle."

Blade chuckled. "Again, it's not a battle; it's a Spar," he corrected.

"Well either way, it was well-fought. Ya did good," Applejack remarked.

"Get a room already, ya lovebirds!" TD called over to them, earning a smack from Twilight. "What?! It's obvious!"

"Well my student, this will be my final visit to you," Solaris suddenly announced.

"What do you mean?" Blade asked. Solaris coughed and he fell down to one knee.

"I'm dying my student... My flame is slowly fading away," Solaris explained.

"W-what!" Blade was shocked of his former mentor's words.

"You're... dying?" Applejack was also a bit shocked. TD, while still not one to particularly enjoy the company of a god, couldn't help but feel a bit saddened himself at the sight.

"Pinkie," Twilight warned the Changeling monarch, who was still trying to round up her hive, "If there's any larvae or nymphs around, you may want to get them out of here. This may be something they don't want to see."

Pinkie nodded in understanding, then went back to tending to her kind.

"Some of us are Immortal, but when our powers or our life force is gone, we die also," Solaris said.

"Isn't there something ya'll can do?" Applejack wondered.

"No. We can't cheat death; we can't break The Rules of Life," Solaris explained.

"That's not entirely-" TD began, but was cut off by Twilight yet again.

"So this will be my last time to see you?" Blade asked, to which Solaris nodded. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE!" He Hugged his mentor and teared up a bit. Applejack also teared up herself and removed her hat in the process. True to her nature, she didn't cry aloud, but all who knew her knew that she was crying on the inside.

"It's okay... Whenever I'm gone, I'm always here..." Solaris said comfortingly, as he placed his hand on Blade's chest.

"Solaris," TD spoke, "I never have said this to anyone who claimed to be a god before... but I hope that you may find peace in death."

Solaris smiled. "Thank you William," he Said and looked at AJ. "Please take care of him for me."

Solaris looked at Blade one last time, and then he faded away.

"NO!" Blade wailed in sorrow. Applejack sighed as she gave him a small hug with one hoof, letting him lean on her for support. Twilight bowed her head in sorrow while TD looked on. He didn't seem sorrowful, but neither did he enjoy it. His expression explained all too well that he had suffered loss before, and he knew what Blade was going through. Blade placed his head on AJ's shoulder and cried softly.

"Ah'm so sorry, sugarcube," she whispered. TD muttered something that sounded like a final sendoff or blessing for the dead, even making a cross symbol as he did so, but what he was speaking was unknown even to his wife. Twilight, on that note, was silently crying herself, for no matter who it was it was never easy for her to experience such a thing. After a while, Blade got up and he went back to the library without saying a word. Applejack watched him go with a sympathetic expression, never letting her gaze leave him until he was fully out of sight.

* * *

That night, Blade placed the Golden Sword and Shield on the wall and put a plaque at the bottom as a kind of reminder of the one who had taught him in the past.

"Rest in peace, Teacher..." he murmured. Just then, there was a light knock at the door.

"Nightblade?" a familiar voice whispered. "Are ya still up?"

"Yeah I'm awake," he answered. The door opened slowly and Applejack popped in. She gave him a small smile.

"Ah couldn't sleep, so Ah decided to check up on ya and see if you're doin' alright," she explained.

"I'm alright... just putting my mentor's weapons on the wall," he said.

Applejack nodded. "Well, it certainly adds to the decor of the place."

She gave a small sigh, thinking back on what Solaris had told her before he had passed away. Did he know somehow how she felt towards him, or was he simply asking a favor? And TD? He had known from the very start, but did he really want her to go through with it? Was that really how she truly felt?

"AJ, I have to Ask you this," Blade spoke, cutting her train of thought. "Have you ever found the Perfect Pony in your life?" He asked, "If that's the case... you should confess your feelings and make it quick and everyone will be happy..." He paused and chuckled a bit. "Heh... My mentor told me this when I was his pupil."

"Oh..." Applejack looked to him with a small sigh. "Ah had a crush once, back when Ah was younger. A stallion whom Ah thought might be the one. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. When Ah confessed to him... he turned me down." She glanced up at Nightblade. "He didn't do it unkindly though. He hadn't even been aware that Ah was fawning over him. Turned out... he had a wife already, so he was simply being faithful." She glanced at one of the nearby windows for a bit. "Ah'll never forget what he told me that night. 'Keep looking,' he said. 'You'll find the perfect somepony someday. I promise.' Ah haven't seen him since."

"Well... I know there's only one thing left to make it go away," Blade said.

"And what's that?" Applejack asked.

"I know this will be different but... oh what the heck!" He suddenly leaned in and kissed Applejack. Applejack's eyes widened for a moment, as if unsure of what had just happened, then slowly they closed in bliss and she started returning the kiss.

* * *

 **Meanwhile in a castle in Everfree...**

"Yes!" Discord shouted with triumph as he peered into a crystal ball and overlooked the scene. "Score one for the Discord!"

"Um, honey? What are doing?" Fluttershy asked him, coming up from behind.

"Um...

* * *

 **Back to the present scene...**

Five minutes passed and Blade broke the kiss to take a breather.

"That was... Wow," he said.

"Why... did ya do that?" Applejack asked breathlessly, but not unkindly. "Because Ah... did not... expect it."

"Because I love you," Blade said. The earth pony was taken aback and looked to him with surprise.

"Ya... ya do?" she asked, sounding a bit emotional. Blade nodded. For a moment, Applejack was silent, then she suddenly threw her hooves around him in a full embrace.

"Ah thought you'd never say that," she replied, tearing up with joy. "And, Ah've been meaning to say... Ah love ya, too."

Blade smiled at these words and he hugged her back. They stayed like that for quite awhile, taking in every bit of this moment as long as possible, never wanting it to end for either of them. It was only the chiming of a nearby clock that made them end the hug as Applejack looked to the time.

"Oh shoot!" she remarked. "Is it that late? Ah need to be up early tomorrow to help with the deliveries!"

"Okay then..." Blade smiled at her. Applejack smiled back, then trotted to the door and started to open it. It was open only halfway before she stopped and gave him a final glance.

"G'night, Nightblade," she said, then she trotted out the door entirely and was gone.

"Night..." Blade went to his room fell asleep on his bed with only one thing left in his mind that night.

 _Thank you... Applejack for Restoring the Fragment of my heart._

 _Thank you..._

* * *

 **Well, I thought it was appropriate to have those two together to make up for his broken heart in a different Equestria. Besides, I thought they were alright. What about you?**

 **Thanks for reading! Cya next time!**


	49. Yet Another Minor Villain Problem

**Well... Darkstalker wants another collab, so I'll please my fan. Although, hopefully I don't have to do more of these EQG stuff..**

 **Please enjoy regardless!**

* * *

The bell rang out to signal the end of another day at Canterlot High, which signaled the crowd of students to leave the campus and go back to their homes. However, one particular group of seven friends lingered for a moment longer to talk about the day they had together, as well as discuss matters that were beyond the understanding of the other students.

Sunset Shimmer ran a hand through her hair, smiling at her friends.

"So, what do you think is happening over there?" She asked, referring to the world where Princess Twilight lived.

"Heck if I know," Rainbow Dash remarked. "But I did catch a rumor that they may have had a few... interesting developments lately."

"Uh, Rainbow, we're the only ones who know about that place," Applejack reminded.

"Even that's not entirely true," Twilight corrected (the other Twilight). She pushed her glasses in place as she continued. "Remember that other guy? The one with the laptop?"

Sunset nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear with one hand.

"Well, maybe we'll get a visit from someone who lives there again some day," She said, before sighing. "Although I doubt that will happen anytime soon."

"Famous last words, girls," a male voice said from behind. They turned to see the boy they had previously mentioned approaching them while chuckling. "Also, speak of the devil and he will appear."

Sunset rolled her eyes, grinning slightly.

"Good to see you too," She said wryly. William smiled back, then dropped it for a moment.

"In case you're wondering, this is more of a professional visit than a how-do-you," he admitted. "I've come to warn you about some impending doom that's coming for you. Well... I guess it depends on the definition of 'doom'."

"And what's that?" Applejack asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"How about an army of the undead?" William suggested. "Conjured up by a school bully who somehow discovered a form of Necromancy and is using it to create an army."

Sunset stared at William, her jaw dropping.

"Say what now?" She asked, her voice an octave higher then it usually was, causing her to blush and clear her throat.

"I see I hath confused thee," he stated with a mock Medieval voice. "Let me sayith it slower for thine ears." He then spoke normally, but slowly. "Undead army. Evil Necromancer. Zombie general. Army of carrots-"

"Okay, the last part is just you messing with us," Rarity interrupted with a glare.

"Yikes, even here I get this from her," William joked at a normal talking pace. Sunset glanced at her friends, her eyes worried.

"I know we've done some amazing stuff together, but I think that this is to much to take on by ourselves." She said. "Should I see if I can get some help?"

She knew they would understand what she was talking about, and if they didn't she was sure William could explain it.

"Yep," they all stated at once.

"Wow, that was quick," William noted, then got a worried look. "Uh oh... here they come."

As he was still speaking, they heard a loud scream from somewhere down the street, followed by a few panicking students being chased by what could only be described as zombies. The zombies were, admittedly, slow and some were very clumsy, but there was an entire army of them approaching the school, all seemingly focused on the group of friends near the statue. Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind William, much to his amusement.

"Now that's a cheap move," he chuckled. "Using the author as your best advantage of not getting hurt." He chuckled, then frowned. "But in all seriousness, there's only so much I can do for you. I am the author, that is true, but the most I can do is postpone your... deaths until help arrives. So Sunset, if I were you, I'd GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Sunset nodded, before she turned and placed a hand on the portal. She cast one last glance at her friend, smiling, before she turned and stepped through. William then turned to the others.

"I suggest you barricade yourself in the school, because this may take a while," he said bluntly, then looked back to the portal. "Please be fast, Sunset..."

* * *

The Changeling known as Sunshine was playing with some of her toys in front of the magic mirror that made up the portal into the other world. She herself was unaware of the portal's significance or why the mirror had such a complex machine connected to it, and at the moment she didn't care either. Such was her young and innocent mind.

The shimmering of the portal startled her enough to look up with interest at the mirror. A pony figure flew out of it into the room, making her scream slightly with fear and with surprising speed rush up the wall and onto the ceiling. Because of her species, the eight-eyed wingless Changeling was almost as much at home on the ceiling as she was on the floor, designed to walk up walls very much like a spider. She eyed the figure who had entered, who so happened to be a unicorn. This made her curiosity get the better of her once more and she stared down with wonder.

Sunset shook her head, trying to re-orient herself.

"I'm never going to get used to that," She muttered as she stood up, trying to balance on her two hind legs, before falling forwards so she was standing on all fours. Looking around, she finally raised her gaze to the ceiling, blinking in surprise as she saw the changeling.

"Hi," The unicorn said, smiling slightly. "What's your name?"

The Changeling managed to compose herself a bit.

"Princess Sunshine, daughter of Princess Celestia," she stammered. Sunset smiled, sitting down.

"My name's Sunset Shimmer. Do you know where I could find Princess Celestia? I need to talk to her," Sunset said, before adding, "It's extremely important."

Sunshine smiled back, knowing now that she didn't intend any harm. Slowly, she climbed down from the ceiling and then started out the door.

"Mommy's usually busy right now, but I think she'll understand," Sunshine explained, leading Sunset to the throne room. There, they found Celestia speaking with a delegate from the Griffon kingdom. When she heard the door open, she sighed but in a manner that said she was a bit tired.

"Not now, Sunshine," she said while turning towards them. "Mommy's a bit-"

She stopped mid sentence when she noticed Sunset and then a big smile appeared on her face, mixed with some confusion.

"Sunset!" she exclaimed, standing up and trotting over to her former pupil and giving her a hug. "It's been a long time."

Sunset returned the hug, smiling despite the events that had caused her to come seek help from her former mentor.

"It has, and I wish I came here just to visit, but I need some help," she explained, disengaging from the hug and stepping away. "There's an army of zombies that needs dealt with, and my friends and I won't be able to do it alone. We could use some help."

Celestia gave a small look of surprise, then turned to the delegate.

"I'm afraid we'll have to postpone this discussion to a later date," she told him. The Griffon nodded in understanding and walked out of the room. When he was gone, Celestia looked back to Sunset.

"I'm not sure how much help I'd offer alone, but there are others here who can help," she reassured.

"Mommy has a lot of powerful friends," Sunshine added. "She's even got a new prince in the castle!"

Sunset blinked, before looking at Celestia with interest.

"A new prince? What's his gig?" She asked, curious. Celestia gave a small giggle.

"I believe you may be able to get that answer yourself, soon enough," she answered mysteriously, then glanced towards a nearby window that she quickly opened with her magic. And not a moment too soon, for two figures suddenly flew in with a loud thud... or one of them did; the other managed a swift landing, though he seemed to have just gotten out of a near-crash landing. The first figure, a blood-red unicorn, sighed in relief and then with a glow of his horn turned into (who else?) TD panting and also a bit pissed.

"Okay... NEVER make a deal with THAT Reaper! Give me Greg any day..." he managed between gasps. Sunset blinked, her jaw hanging open slightly, before she quickly closed it. TD looked up and then nudged the other figure, who seemed to be a male alicorn, with his foot.

"Tempus, we have company!" the human stated. Tempus glanced at Sunset, smiling, before his eyes suddenly widened and he stumbled backwards, his wings flaring outwards.

"Ow, ow, ow.." He murmured, putting a hoof to his head. "Major headache, to much information..."

Sunset blinked, shooting Celestia a confused look.

"Tempus controls Time and Death to name a few," Celestia explained. "As such, he can often predict things before they even happen or simply tell when one is about to die." She then gave a puzzled expression herself. "Though I myself am a bit concerned as to what it is he's getting a headache over."

"Gee, I wonder what it could be," TD grumbled sarcastically, then more cheerfully to Sunset, "Hey there, Shimmer. Been too long. Like, what, ten? Fifteen years here?"

"I guess so," Sunset said, just as Tempus shook his head.

"I got a headache because as soon as I made eye contact with Miss Shimmer here, I had about a million visions of every single possible future that is in store for her," He muttered. "And you forgot I also control Life, Tia."

"Controlling death is the same thing in my book," TD stated as he stood to his feet. "All it means is that you decide when someone lives and someone dies."

Tempus shot TD a glare, before he turned to Sunset, his green eyes softening.

"You need help. A zombie army, right?" He asked, and Sunset looked at Celestia, her eyes wide with amazement.

"He can also look into the past," the alicorn princess stated. "Sorry I forgot to mention that."

"He also can break the Fourth Wall and he looks like a stereotypical OC in the MLP genere," TD added. Tempus glared at TD again, before looking up at the sky, and without warning an anvil materialized above TD and fell, landing on top of his head.

"OW!" TD yelped, then the anvil disappeared and he growled at Tempus. "You just HAD to do it, didn't you?"

To be fair, you had it coming.

Yes, you did.

Tempus smirked. "Looks like I have both authors on my side TD."

"Oh, zip it," the human mumbled. "I don't get paid enough for this anyways..."

"Uncles, who are you talking to?" Sunshine asked, looking upwards in hopes of catching a glimpse of whom they were talking to.

"It doesn't matter," TD shrugged it off. "I doubt they're listening anyways."

Wrong! By the way, in case you're wondering, you may want to pick up the pace. Things aren't looking too hot back here at Canterlot High.

Tempus nodded, before he glanced at Celestia.

"Mind if I go to help out? After all, they are zombies; that's within my area of expertise."

Sunset looked hopefully at Celestia, waiting for her answer.

Celestia chuckled. "As if I was going to stop you, Tempus."

"Uh, hate to tell ya this, but I probably shouldn't go," TD remarked. "Not that I don't care, but it'll get unnecessarily... complicated if I meet myself on Earth."

He's not wrong. But don't worry; I'm more than enough help- AH! Freaking zombie! Okay, hurry up please! I can't keep using my "Author Powers" to keep them away forever!

"And there goes the alarm bells," TD muttered.

"Very well," Tempus said, turning to Sunset. "Lead the way."

Sunset nodded, saying a hurried goodbye to Celestia and Sunshine, before she led Tempus to the room the mirror was in. She put a hoof on it and stepped through. Tempus stepped up to the mirror, not even bothering to put a hoof to it as he went through.

* * *

On the other side, they almost bumped right into William, who gave them a satisfied look.

"Oh good! You did hear me!" he breathed, then yelped as a zombie tried to attack him. "A little help?"

Tempus growled, before he flicked his right wrist and his axe materialized in it. He threw it through the air, the blade slamming into the zombie and knocking it backwards, as the runes on the blade glowed and the axe flew back through the air, the handle slapping firmly into his hand as he flicked his left wrist, causing a golden handmade watch to appear, before he slapped it with his fist, causing the rim to expand outwards, turning the wristwatch into a shield.

"Thanks," William began, but then was grabbed by another. "Get off me!"

He was pulled down as several others joined in the chase, but then all were surprised when a shockwave of energy blasted them off and William stood with a look of surprise himself, but his was much less.

"Whoa... haven't used that in a long time," he managed. "That was a close one!"

Temus dippd his head at him, before glancing around, his green eyes narrowing.

"Only so much I can do right now... but I'm not stuck like this." He said, grinning as his form blurred, before it resolved into his Pyrunian one, his different colored eyes glowing as he swung his axe by his side, his dragon wings flaring out behind him.

"Now I can fight at my maximum ability." He said, before he shot a blast of ice at a group of zombies, freezing them solid. William cheered, but then the cheer died when he heard a scream from the highschool building. It sounded like Fluttershy, and when he turned to see what was wrong, he noticed a breach in the defenses.

"You've got to be joking!" he huffed.

"I got this!" Tempus shouted, racing forwards and body slamming a zombie to the ground with his shield, backhanding it with his axe. "You two keep up defending, and if it gets to bad retreat inside!"

Without warning, the Pyrunian twisted his wrist and disappeared, reappearing inside the school, his glowing eyes scanning for threats.

Outside the school, Sunset looked at William.

"That really just happened?" She asked him.

"Yes it did... duck!" he answered, then swiftly landed a punch to another zombie's face, then groaned as he held shook his hand around.

"Still not used to doing that without magic," he complained. Sunset rolled her eyes, before she kicked a zombie in the face.

Inside the school, Tempus crept along, both his shield and axe at the ready.

"So they send you to do the dirty work," a voice echoed throughout the halls. "I'm disappointed Tempus. I'd expect someone like me to attract a lot more attention."

Another scream from Flutteryshy, followed by Rainbow Dash shouting, "Get off of her!" and then the sound of a guitar smashing on someone's head. Tempus growled, before he took off in a blast of black lightning, speeding through the hallways until he raced into the room the sounds had come from, skidding to a stop as lightning flickered around him, his axe up and ready to attack. In there, he found a few of the zombie characters surrounding Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the latter huddled in a ball as RD started to smack the others with her guitar. But it was clear that she wouldn't last long against them, as the zombies were starting to overwhelm them. Tempus growled, before he threw his axe through the air, at the same time shooting a blast of ice from the palm of his right hand, freezing a couple zombies solid as his axe flew through the air, chopping all the others down, before returning to his hand, the handle smacking firmly against his palm.

"Thanks," Rainbow said. "I hate to admit it, but if you didn't show up as soon as you did, we'd both be goners."

"Th-th-thanks," Fluttershy managed, a bit shook up.

"it's nothing." Tempus said as he touched the back of the band that held his shield on his arm, causing it to revert back to it's watch form. "Just doing my job."

He seemed to pause, before suddenly stepping sideways, his axe already in motion to slam into the chest of a zombie that had sneaked up behind him. With a grunt, he kicked the zombie off the blade, hanging his axe from his belt as his wings flared open halfway, before closing.

"Spoil sport," the voice echoed again. "You do know what an ambush is, don't you?" A laugh rang out and Tempus found it oddly familiar. Tempus narrowed his eyes, before they flared pure white.

"You shall not win!" He said, his hands clenching. "I will stand against you as long as I have breath in my lungs!"

He grabbed his axe, the runes in the blade lighting up with bright white light.

"NOW SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARD!" He screamed, slamming his axe against the floor hard enough to crack the flooring, a shock wave blasting outwards due to how hard he had hit the floor.

"Ah, but what good would that do for me?" the voice taunted, then Tempus briefly caught a glimpse ahead in the future of a large figure attacking from behind. He was moving pretty fast, so it would be a close one...

Tempus grinned as he spun, black lightning arcing around him as he dropped his axe aside, leaping up and grabbing the ceiling and somehow swinging around to smash into the figure from behind, sending him flying forwards as he grabbed his axe once more, time catching back up to him as he slowed down from going at super speed. The figure stumbled, regained balance, then turned to face Tempus with a smirk. He was quite the giant of a man, and he was ripped too. But the look in his eyes told Tempus who it was, even with the different energy he sensed from his form. Tempus crouched, his lip curling in a sneer as his hand clenched around the handle of his axe.

"Tirek," He spat, as his shape blurred and he dropped his Pyrunian form, looking like the human equivalent of Tempus once more. He leveled his axe at Tirek, the blade steaming with frost.

"Surrender now or face my wrath," Tempus growled.

Tirek laughed. "Get in line," he scoffed, and then disappeared in a dark puddle of shadows. From that same puddle arose a horrific humanoid-like creature made of darkness. It screeched loudly and looked to Tempus with bared claws on its hands. Tempus smiled as he raised his left hand, pointing at the figure as his fingers began to steam, before a blast of ice erupted towards his enemy. The figure hissed as the ice struck its form, then it suddenly pounced at Tempus with the speed of a bullet as a mouth with rows of sharp teeth materialized on it's head and started snapping at him.

"Woah!" Tempus yelped, skidding away from his foe, before he glanced at the ceiling lights, which suddenly became extremely bright as an electric whine started. Hearing this, the creature hissed at the lights as if the light had a negative effect on him. A dark tentacle fired from its form and struck the light, destroying it completely and causing the room to be darkened somewhat. He then hissed again and leaped into the shadows of the room to hide. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash wisely stepped away from said shadows upon seeing this and started to back out of the room.

"Uh... you take care of this thing and we'll be... helping the others!" RD suggested, then she and Fluttershy made a mad dash out of the room. Tempus raised an eyebrow, before he raced from the room, throwing a sealing spell on the door before teleporting outside and appearing beside William.

"In case you're wondering," William said as he kicked a zombie away from him, "that thing you faced was a corrupted soul given a body of darkness. That seal on the door will keep it locked up, but not for long. However, they tend to be weak to light. Like any light in general."

He's right, you can't.

"I need to know how to use my Guardian powers," Tempus said. "I never had them explained to me."

"Oh, that? That's easy!" William chuckled, blasting some fire from his hands and toasting a zombie nearby. "TD had them wired to your own powers you had naturally. As a Guardian of Time, you still have your powers from before, but on a much, much larger scale. To top it off, you also can use time-based abilities that you've never been able to access before." He gave him a grin. "The way we've done it is to just use the powers like normal. TD for example, what does his power let him do? Chaos, meaning whatever he wants to an extent. Now, what do your time powers do?"

"Manipulate the time-stream mainly," Tempus said.

"You're halfway there," William remarked with a grin. "Now tell me... have you seen The Doctor use Time Energy? Because that's something you can do too, my friend! Very valuable, hard to get, but it can do... well, almost anything."

"Uhhh..." Tempus said, completely lost.

Sorry, but I've never seen Docter Who, so therefore Tempus has no clue what you're talking about.

William sighed. "Just... here, this'll make it easier. I just hope pulling this strong doesn't come back to bite me."

He grabbed Tempus's shoulder and a wave of energy surged through him momentarily before William released him.

"There, it should be easier for you now," he commented. "Can you feel the power?"

"Yeah, I do!" Tempus exclaimed, flexing his hand.

"Well then, let's see what it can do!" William laughed. Tempus grinned, before he shot a blast of energy at a zombie, completely obliterating it.

"This is amazing!" He cried.

"Don't waste all of that energy, though," William warned. "That stuff is slow to recharge even with your Guardian powers."

He noticed that the zombies were starting to suddenly decompose on their own, and then they each had a glowing form start to appear in their place.

"Uh oh..." he muttered. "Tempus, you know that Nazgul I have? Well, say hello to his lesser kind."

Right as he finished, the forms became fully formed, revealing wraiths of many different people; all of them having died long ago.

"They're still bound to obey those who command death, right?" Tempus asked.

"No, only the one who dominated them," William explained. "But you can banish them back to death. Dominate or banish; your choice. Personally, I feel like we could use this army against him."

"How do I dominate them?" Tempus asked.

"It's... a power over the mind, one which I do not believe you possess," William remarked. "But you can learn in time. I can give you a training course- oh, here they come."

As he spoke, several of the wraith figures charged forth. William glared at them, and then a wall of flames appeared that separated two of them from the rest of the pack, all of whom were backing away as if in fear.

"With few exceptions, wraiths tend to fear fire," he explained, then made a gesture with his hands and the two separated wraiths were drawn to him. He placed a glowing hand on one of them, and his form suddenly turned from a ghastly green to a blood red.

"You are mine now," he said, then released the wraith, who looked back towards the fire in a defensive position.

"Come Tempus," William said. "If you truly wish to know how, I can show you with this one..."

Tempus nodded, stepping forwards.

"Domination works not only on the dead, but the living too," William explained. "You must be able to see into their minds, into their very souls, know all there is about them. Invade their mind and let them know who's truly in charge. The only time this doesn't work is when nothing of their souls remain or if they have no souls to begin with, and there are also some who are strong enough of will to prevent the domination from working." He used a spell to immobilize the wraith in his hand. "Give it a shot if you wish. But know this; what you see in there may scar you forever afterwards."

"I watched my homeworld be destroyed. I can do this." Tempus said, before closing his eyes and meditating. A second later, he drove a spear of pure thought into the wraith's mind. He felt the wraith struggle to resist, but very weakly; he was already nothing more than a puppet simply receiving a different master.

Slowly, the wraith turned into a pure silver color, and then ceased to struggle. Instead, he bowed before Tempus and said in a voice that echoed within his form, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

Tempus opened his eyes.

"Protect us," He ordered. The wraith nodded, then turned back to the crowd just as the wall of fire disappeared. William's wraith charged in but only managed to take down one or two before it was destroyed. However, Tempus's seemed to get a new spark of life in it (figuratively) and charged head on. It then started to take down the other wraiths with a series of amazing martial arts while William looked on with surprise.

"I think you just picked up a dojo master," he managed. "Look at him go!"

Tempus chuckled. "I always have liked martial arts."

William watched for a moment, then looked to Tempus.

"You don't have to try this, but if he were to be upgraded to a higher ranking wraith... he could be your elite follower," he remarked, then shrugged. "But if you think about it, it's probably best to just let him go... Something TD has yet to try with his own."

"Agreed. Now, where's Sunset?" Tempus asked, suddenly looking around.

"Uh..." William began, but he got his answer when she suddenly flew right by him, followed by a familiar screech as the shadow creature appeared at the doors of the highschool.

"Oh great," he muttered. "Guess who's back?"

"Let's see how he likes this," Tempus growled as he drew his arm back and then brought it forwards, a black bolt of lightning flying off it and shooting towards the shadow creature. The shadow creature howled in pain as the lightning struck him, causing his arm to fall to the ground and disintegrate. He hissed and tried to pounce again, but when he did a blast of light erupted from William's hand and struck it, destroying it completely.

"And, goodbye," he remarked. He looked over to the enemy horde and found, to his relief, that the rest of the horde was gone. But there was no sign of Tirek. Tempus's Wraith walked over to the alicorn and bowed low.

"I have done what you asked of me, my lord," he said in a low tone. Tempus glanced at William and raised an eyebrow as if to ask, "Now what?"

William looked to Tempus. "He's your wraith whom you dominated. It's your call."

Tempus nodded, before he turned to the wraith. "You are dismissed until I call for you when I next need you," The alicorn said firmly.

"Yes, my lord," the wraith answered with a nod, then in a burst of silver fire he was gone.

"Nice," William remarked. "You've officially gotten yourself a servant, I suppose."

"Yeah, I guess," Tempus said as he stretched, hanging his axe from his belt. "You know, I think my author may or may not have an idea about doing something before this chapter ends... It would be great if we could actually talk to him face-to-face."

William smirked. "Easy there tiger. We still have a villain to find. But as for your author being met face-to-face, wish granted! He's coming now..."

Sunset immediately deadpanned. "Great. Another person who defies all forms of logic in both Equestria and here."

"I take that as a compliment," A voice said as a guy walked up from the streets. He had gray skin and his hair was black, streaked with white. He had maroon eyes, and was wearing black sneakers, blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a leather jacket. Slung over his shoulder was a laptop bag, and he had a bulge in his right pocket that looked like a phone.

Tempus glanced at the guy and raised an eyebrow, as if to say "This is the guy who created me?"

The guy laughed, before he dipped his head at William. "Pleased to finally meet you face-to-face William. My name's Christopher, but please call me Chris for short."

"How do you, Chris?" William replied with a bow. "Wow, this job never gets old when things like this happens."

Chris laughed, smiling. "Agreed. Now, how about we get to locating this villain." He said, as he pulled his phone from his pocket, opening it and swiping through some different screens. "Any hints for them William? My author's powers aren't useful right now."

"Well, that's mostly because it's my story. Sorry for that," William remarked. "One second..."

A laptop materialized out of nowhere and he fiddled around with it for a moment, then groaned.

"Oh bloody... He would do that, wouldn't he?"

"What? What is it?" Sunset demanded.

"Let's just say you have a maniac hiding somewhere in Equestria now," William stated. "He managed to slip through while we were busy here."

"So... looks like it's time for Tempus to go back, and possibly have Sunset go as well to help out?" Chris said as he quickly typed something on his phone, his fingers flying across the onscreen keyboard. "Oh, and Tempus, when you get back, be sure to free TD from the inescapable cage I just put him in. I like trolling people for the fun of it sometimes."

Tempus raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I'd never have guessed," He said in a deadpan voice.

William gave Chris a slight glare.

"Could you not? He's mine to torture, not yours. Why don't you just troll Tempus for a while?" he demanded, then sighed. "Just go you two while I give TD at least a small fighting chance..."

Tempus rolled his eyes as he leapt through the portal, Sunset following him.

"Dude, Tempus would know it as soon as I tried to troll him!" Was the last thing they heard Chris saying to William.

* * *

"GET ME OUT OF THIS THING, YOU JERKS!" was the first thing they heard from TD as soon as they exited the portal and found said entity trapped in a very simplistic looking cage. He was frowning heavily. "This is not cool. You literally had me get stuck right as soon as Tirek walked by! Not cool!"

"Blame my author," Tempus said as he walked up to the cage and tapped it lightly with a hoof. As if it was made of glass, the entire thing shattered, dropping TD onto the ground.

Sunset blinked. "Wow... I don't have anything else to say except for that. Wow."

"Thanks," TD thanked Tempus, then glared at the portal. "Christopher, DON'T do that again, please. I have enough trouble with my own author."

No promises TD, but I'll try not to... sorry.

Tempus rolled his eyes, before looking at TD. "Tirek. Which way did he go?"

"Out the door and I'm not sure where to afterwards, but he didn't stay here in the palace. That much I do know from sensing his power," TD explained. Tempus nodded, before glancing at Sunset.

"We'll need more people then just the three of us," He said, before shooting a wry grin at TD. "Think you can assemble us a team?"

Sunset blinked, now extremely lost as to what was going on.

"I can look around and see who's available," TD answered. "In the meantime, is there any place in Equestria, or Equis for that matter, where you could possibly raise up an army of the dead?"

Tempus thought for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes, before they widened.

"Uh... he'd be able to bend any dead being to his will, right?" He asked, his green eyes carrying a look of extreme worry in them. "Like, any dead thing?"

"The bodies and, in some cases, their souls, yes," TD answered.

Tempus gulped, before he said in a quiet voice, "Yeah, I can think of a place he could raise an army of varied dead." He looked directly at TD as he spoke. "And it's a place that hasn't been touched since the bodies buried there were put below the ground."

TD straightened. "Show us where. I'll send a message to the others to meet up with us there."

"Okay, but you should know where it is," Tempus remarked as he stood tall, the rims of his eyes starting to glow silver as power started gathering around him. "After all, you created the giant burial site, then caused it to be split between several worlds to serve as a memorial."

TD, understandably, looked shocked. "Crap..." he muttered, then summoned an orb in his hands and spoke into it. "Guys, we've got a problem! Meet me at the memorial burial site. No, not that one. The one we never touched since The Crossover. Hurry!" He put the orb away then. "Let's move!"

Tempus nodded, the outer edges of his eyes glowing bright silver as he gathered his power. Sunset narrowed her eyes, magic surrounding her horn as she readied herself for what was to come.

"You taking us there TD?" Tempus asked.

"Oh, right. Sorry," TD apologized, then snapped his fingers as they teleported to an unfamiliar place to those present save for TD. It was unclear where they were exactly; all that was known was that it was a large and barren plain where hundreds of thousands of bodies could be buried beneath their feet. Even so, it looked incomplete; a graveyard that seemed unfinished. Tempus crouched, placing a hoof against the ground as he closed his eyes, before letting out a grunt.

"I can sense them all," he said, his voice low in respect. Sunset looked around, her nerves on edge and ready for anything.

"I don't think he's been here yet," TD started, but then suddenly a human figure appeared as a ghastly green wraith figure with a machine gun of some kind in his hands in a uniform that had the letters UNSC on his chest.

"But I wouldn't stake my life on it," TD finished as hundreds of thousands more appeared. They were all different; Equestrians, humans, anthropomorphic animals, humans in white armor, and even at least five dragon figures. The latter TD looked to with some worry.

"Cobra is not gonna like the looks of that," he muttered. Tempus suddenly growled, his pupils turning pure silver.

"TD, Sunset, you play defense. Protect me," He said. "If our enemy wants to disturb the dead, then I'll teach him how I feel about that!"

His horn lit up with dark blue magic, and energy started to swirl around him as he started a spell of unknown origins. But before he could try anything, several green balls of flame fell from the sky and landed, materializing into seven figures: an Equestrian unicorn, a Mobian crow, a UNSC marine, an Elite, a Clone Trooper, a Firebender, and a human-like figure with a pair of oxen horns on it's head; a Faunus. All of them had a mask or helmet covering their heads and or faces, the ones with only a few features isible having nothing more than an empty void for a face. Behind them was Tirek, who had transformed into his centaur doppelganger's appearance thanks to the magic from the portal. He was bright red, but only stood about ten feet tall, which was relatively tiny for anyone who had seen him as a gigantic figure.

"Welcome to the party," Tirek gloated. "I'm afraid you weren't invited."

"Oh no..." TD muttered. "Those are not lesser wraiths; those are the big leagues."

Tempus narrowed his eyes, before snorting.

"He dare disturbs the dead," He said in an angry voice. Sunset looked at the wraiths warily, before she aimed her horn, although she was shaking slightly.

"TD, any idea when our backup is going to arrive?" She asked softly. TD didn't answer as the wraiths spoke.

"You fight an army of souls you could not save, and will not defeat," the Elite wraith taunted in his ghostly voice.

"When we dispose of you, your souls will join our army and we will conquer this world," the unicorn wraith added.

"Stay out of our way or die," Tirek finished.

TD stared defiantly at them. "Do your worst. I'm not afraid to die. My soul is prepared. Can you say the same?"

Tempus snorted in defiance as well.

"You talk about death to me!" He suddenly screamed. "Do you even know who I am!?"

There was so much power around him that tiny pebbles around his hooves started to levitate off the ground. Sunset nervously glanced at him, before turning her attention back to the wraiths.

"One can claim the power and know nothing," Tirek remarked, then made a commanding motion. "Round them up and claim their souls."

TD snarled as a sword of red flames appeared in his hand.

"You can try..." he growled. Tirek smirked as one of the wraiths teleported across the space between them and tried to land a blow on Tempus... only to be blocked by a silver figure. The silver figure turned out to be Tempus's wraith, only he looked different. Now he had a katanta in his hands and a grim determination on his face, which was still visible unlike the others.

"You will not claim his soul!" he yelled.

Tempus grinned, before he let out a howl and blasted a beam of dark blue magic at one of the wraiths, silver energy swirling around it as it zoomed through the air, causing the ground to rumble at how much power was contained in the spell. Sunset's eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, before creating a shield of energy around her. Meanwhile, another ball of fire fell to earth, but this was blood-red and out of it stepped TD's Nazgul, sword at the ready.

"You will not claim this world for your own," he stated, then began a deadly combat with the Elite wraith. TD also charged forward as he began combat with some of the others all at once, managing quite well despite their teleportations and other methods of attack. The unicorn wraith decided to aim at Sunset, attacking her shield.

"You cannot defeat us," it told her. "We are many, and you are all but small flames alone in the darkness."

Sunset narrowed her eyes at the wraith.

"We will fight for what is right no matter our numbers." The unicorn growled as she fired a spell through her shield, hitting the unicorn wraith.

"Then it's a good thing you're not alone," a voice remarked from behind as a familiar purple beam struck the wraith and Twilight Sparkle strode over to Sunset's side with a grin. From another corner, a cloud of feathers appeared and revealed Zach, Screwball, and Tracker. A shot rang out as a few other figures approached as well; the most recognizable being an earth pony in armor similar to the corrupted souls of the Clone Troopers nearby, but built for his pony shape. Two pistol attachments were on his forelegs and while his helmet covered his face, it could be assumed he was giving his friends a friendly smile.

"You need any assistance, my friends?" he asked, the helmet somewhat synthesizing his voice. The enemy wraiths turned to him and seemed displeased.

Tempus suddenly took to the sky, soaring high into the air before glaring down at Tirek.

"You dishonor the dead, then claim I know nothing about the power I wield!" the alicorn screamed, his pupils still glowing silver. "You have no clue what I am capable of!"

Sunset smiled at Twilight, before turning her attention back to the unicorn wraith. Zach glared at Tirek while Screwball conjured up a storm of cotton candy thunderclouds, giving Tracker the means to transform into his vampiric form. They scattered among the enemy as Zach approached Tirek.

"You should've let them stay dead!" he snarled as the Mobian and Firebender wraiths attacked him. Zach simply blasted them away and then began a deadly magic battle with the others that approached him. On his side, T-bone stood on his hind legs as his gun attachments activated and he started firing them off into the enemy. They must have been enchanted, because they actually seemed to damage the wraiths, each one disappearing when he shot them. The more powerful ones which Tirek apparently saw as his generals also scattered and attacked, but found the battle rather difficult for them as TD ended up taking on three of them at once and TD's Nazgul engaged another. All seven Greater Wraiths were too busy occupied to help the army of lesser wraiths, who were engaged with the rest of the enemy. Tempus's wraith particularly was a great help against the enemy horde, clearly being a master of the blade and of unarmed combat before his death. Tempus dove at Tirek, his horn glowing with dark blue magic as his eyes went pure white, silver energy glowing around his body.

"I'LL SHOW YOU MY POWER!" the alicorn screamed as he unleashed a massive blast of energy at the centaur, shaking the air. Tirek managed to teleport out of harms way in time, but he seemed to have some slight doubt about his enemy. Desperately trying to turn this around, he started to cause more souls to rise from the dead to assist him and send them at Tempus. Unfortunately for him, TD had been one step ahead. Sensing that Tirek had not resurrected all the souls in the area, he had taken the initiative.

"Rise my comrades and defend your resting place!" TD called from within a forcefield he had conjured to protect himself from the other wraiths. "This defiler disturbs the rest of you and your fallen brothers and sisters-at-arms! Fight and drive him from your graves so you may rest in peace!"

The entire graveyard was suddenly full of more souls, but these were blue or white in color and they were fighting the other wraiths in the area.

"No!" Tirek roared. "Fight for me! Kill them all!"

"THEY WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" Tempus roared, so mad he was using the Canterlot Royal Voice. He closed his eyes, hovering in place as energy swirled around him, before bolts of silver-and-dark blue energy started shooting off of him, slamming into enemy wraiths and cleansing them of Tirek's control. The alicorn opened his eyes, which were still glowing white, and glared at Tirek.

"You claim to know the power you yield, yet you know nothing!" The alicorn spat. "Now you shall taste my power. The power of Prince Tempus, prince of Time, Life, and Death!" From his horn, a beam of dark blue magic shot towards Tirek. Tirek fired his own blast from between his horns, a blast of pure darkness. However, as may be expected, his attack was in vain and he was quickly overpower. Panicking a bit, he noticed Tempus's wraith and TD's Nazgul nearby quickly and efficiently disposing of their targets. In a desperate attempt to turn the tides to his favor, he lifted his hands and enveloped both in some dark light.

"You! Obey my commands and fight for me!" he ordered. Tempus's wraith at first seemed to fall for it as his head started to turn ghastly green, then abruptly turned back to silver.

"There is no honor in your actions!" he shouted. "I will not serve you!"

Tirek looked to TD's Nazgul, and despite the helmet covering his face, it seemed like he was smirking at Tirek.

"You cannot see inside me!" the Nazgul remarked. "Nothing of my soul remains and I am bound to The Terror of Dimensions!"

Tirek knew now he was backed against a wall, with no sure way out of this hole he had dug. Tempus continued to pour energy into his offensive attacks, sending blast after blast at Tirek, closing the distance between him and the centaur, his eyes slowly turning from white to silver as the power he was storing grew stronger than his alicorn magic.

"You shall pay for disturbing the dead!" the alicorn prince roared. Tirek looked around to see that his army was depleted of any help to come by. TD was finishing off his remaining "generals," Zach, Tracker and Screwball had helped clear out the main army with T-bone as support, and Twilight and Sunset had managed to finish off their attacker and join their friends. TD looked especially mad.

"Tirek, where did you gain this power of yours?" he demanded. "One does not simply find such power, especially in my world."

Tirek growled. "You think I'll tell you?"

His confidence faded when Zach walked in front of him, his eyes turning into colorful swirls.

"Yes, we do," Zach replied. "Now, you will tell us where you got this power."

"Yes... master," Tirek said in a sleepy tone. "I was given it through an anonymous tip. Someone who seemed more robotic than human."

Tempus landed, his wings flaring out to either side.

"TD, any idea what horse-man here is talking about?" He asked, his voice hard and full of anger.

"I do, sadly," TD answered. "He means my nemesis, The Namless One. It seems that my enemy is always at work sowing seeds of discord among others." He growled. "I don't know when he will arrive, but he will come soon. But to the task at hand..." TD looked to Tempus. "Since he wields the powers of death in a sense, you may have the honor of taking this power from him."

Tempus nodded, before he fired a blast of magic at the centaur, enveloping him as a stream of black energy started to flow from the centaur into the alicorn. After about five minute, the last of the black energy disappeared into the alicorn, and he ceased his magic, looking physically exhausted, dark bags hanging under his eyes.

"Haven't felt this way... in a while," He mumbled, shaking his head to try and clear his mind.

"Easy friend," TD warned. "I'd suggest taking it easy for a bit."

Tirek growled while still in his hypnotized state.

"You cannot win," he groaned. "He comes and you will not be able to defeat him..."

"Enough. It's time to rest. Sleep," Zach ordered. Tirek nodded stupidly and closed his eyes as a deep slumber engulfed him. Smiling in satisfaction, TD turned to the souls that remained, looking to him in anticipation.

"You have done well. Rest and find peace," he told them. The spirits nodded then disappeared like dust blown by the wind. Tempus shook his head, before trying to walk some. However, he was so exhausted that he stumbled, and with a huff of indignation he sat down.

"I hate overtaxing myself," He said bitterly.

"Then try what I do and don't use your full strength until you know for certain what you're dealing with," TD remarked.

"Not everything works like that, William," Twilight scolded, then trotted over to Tempus with her horn glowing. "Here, this spell should help revitalize you a bit."

She touched her horn to his own and Tempus felt more energized for the time being.

"Thanks Twilight," Tempus said, smiling.

"So what happens now?" T-bone asked, having taken off his helmet by now.

"You can all go home now. I need time to think about this," TD mused, then glared at Tirek. "I also have another soul that deserves the VIP section of Greg's prisons."

Tempus grinned wryly. "You do that TD, and I'll let you do it yourself. I don't really want to go there."

"Perfectly understandable, Tempus," TD nodded. "Everyone else, with me. Zach, get Tirek to follow if you can."

Zach nodded, then turned to Tirek. "You will follow us and cause no trouble of any sorts. No funny business."

"Yes... master..." Tirek answered, then slowly stood to his feet and followed the others out of the graveyard. Only T-bone and Tempus remained, the earlier bowing his head with respect at one particular tombstone that was visible.

"Sorry I had to blast you in the head, Lefty," he muttered as he placed his helmet back on, "But it was for your own good. Hope you are now finally able to rest."

Tempus smiled at T-bone, before he spread his wings and took off. Even though he was far from Canterlot, he could sense Celestia's magic, and basing his course off that known location, he aimed himself towards Ponyville and the Everfree forest.

"Hopefully I'll be able to get some answers," He muttered to himself.

* * *

In a hut deep in the Everfree forest, Zecora the Zebra shaman was buys with a kind of brew alongside her friend, the mute pegasus Hummingbird. The brew had been requested by Twilight for a spell she was working on later that week and they wanted to have it prepared for her when shhe arrived to collect it. As they worked, at a point when Zecora was moving some spices around, there was a knock at the door.

"Hummingbird, could you answer that for me? I myself am preoccupied, as you can see," Zecora requested. The mute pegasus nodded and answered the door. Tempus stood outside, his wings folded against his back. He dipped his head politely at the pegasus.

"I wish to speak to Zecora," the alicorn said, his green eyes glittering slightly. Hummingbird nodded and opened the door wide enough for him to enter, then led him over to Zecora, who smiled to see him enter.

"Tempus, good friend, what brings you here? Is everything alright dear?" the zebra inquired. "I can tell you are in a troubled state of mind, and there are answers you wish to find."

Tempus nodded.

"There are some answers I'd like... particularly because I can't see them myself," the alicorn admitted, blushing slightly about how his power had failed him.

Zecora gave him a smile. "Then sit and have tea while you stay in my tree."

She nodded to Hummingbird, who brought over a kettle and three tea cups for them all. She gave Tempus a friendly smile as she filled their tea cups.

"I'm sure you already know my friend Hummingbird, whose existence you may or may not have heard," Zecora noted while gesturing to the pegasus. Tempus smiled and nodded.

"I do," he said, using his magic to levitate the cup to his mouth and take a sip. "Now, there was a battle today, and after it TD mentioned someone called The Nameless One."

Zecora and Hummingbird's faces both lit up with alarm at the mention of that name.

"That is very serious indeed to come to me," Zecora stated, then added without rhymes, "What about him concerns you?"

Tempus blinked, before sighing.

"I've become used to the fact that whenever there's a threat, I know about it long before it comes thanks to my future sight... but I can't see anything about this." He looked the zebra straight in the eyes. "Why is that?"

Zecora sighed herself. "He is a foe that TD fought long ago. He used many a power to remain unseen by most forms of future sight. He wishes to bring to an end what he and TD started." She seemed to have mostly abandoned the use of rhyming. "TD first defeated him when he was younger, long before this world came to be, according to our timeline. Then, Nameless was nothing more than a dictator of his own planet who sought only to gain more resources for his army. TD was not able to defeat him alone, requiring his full power and that of his brothers to defeat this foe. Even then, they were not sure if they had defeated him.

"The first brother claimed that it wasn't over, for he could not sense this foe's death as he himself possessed powers associated with it. The second, while not with such power himself, was cunning and wise. He thought it best to keep an eye on The Nameless One's empire in case he should rise again, and did so with the help of his own order. William, on the other hand, had a different take. Though he may have known the truth deep down, he wanted to believe that it was all over and that this foe was gone for good. He realized his mistaken thinking when he encountered this foe personally in the world of Joy Star."

"So, The Nameless One still exists..." Tempus murmured, then glanced up, his eyes steely. "And what would happen if I were to stand beside TD if this enemy shows himself in this world?"

Zecora stood and had Tempus come over to her cauldron where images started to appear inside the liquid beneath as she spoke, each image or images illustrating what she spoke.

"In five years precisely, the planets will align quite nicely. But the stroke of doom will then be at hand, for that's when The Namless One shall unleash his heartless band. Your friend in the end will fall, and The Nameless One will rule all." Hummingbird especially looked scared to hear this. Zecroa continued. "However, there is a gleam of hope to this tale. Should William's brother fight, the Nameless One will fail."

"The ice mage?" Tempus asked, his eyes flashing from his green alicorn eyes to his different colored Pyrunian for a split second before returning to normal. "Or the other one? And if The Nameless One succeeds, will my home be at threat?"

"It is the one of ice of whom I speak, for the other does not have good ties with either of the two that remain," Zecora replied. "As to your home, it may very well be threatened even without The Nameless One being successful. You see, as one of William's allies, that immediately makes you and your friends and family a target."

With a growl, Tempus turned, walking to the door. As he did so, his form blurred, and by the time he reached it he was in his Pyrunian form.

"Thank you Zecora," Tempus said. "I'll be going now." He opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him. He raised his hand and twisted it, before disappearing in a blast of cold air. Zecora shook her head in a somewhat sad manner.

"Oh if only he could know where this may go," she muttered. Hummingbird nodded and looked back to where Tempus had left with some worry in her eyes.

* * *

Tempus materialized in Ponyville, switching forms to his alicorn one just as he felt his hooves hit the ground. He looked around, before walking down the street, lost in his thoughts.

"Hey Tempus," TD called to him, trotting over while in his pony form, something most in Equestria didn't see him use too often anymore. His sunglasses were not over his eyes, so they looked somewhat intimidating. Yet there were some who could look past that and see the true emotions in them, Twilight especially.

"TD," Tempus said, his voice low. He raised his head to look at his friend, and it was obvious from the guarded look on his face that he was hiding something. TD gave him a small sad expression.

"Zecora told you, didn't she?" he asked.

"Yeah, she did," He murmured, before giving him a determined look. "But I'll still stand by your side, even if it puts my home in danger. When a friend needs me, I don't abandon them."

TD smiled. "Thanks. That means a lot." He looked up at the sky and sighed. "I know I often don't show it, but I worry a lot about this upcoming battle. It'll take all we've got, and even then there's no guarantee of winning. But if that guy wants to take me down, he'll have to do so with a fight."

"Well, there is one guarantee..." Tempus reassured. "But even if we can't get it to happen, I'll fight by your side even if it means my demise. I promise TD."

TD smiled again, then said, "William. You can call me William. A lot of those I trust call me by it. So I figured you may as well."

"Okay... William." Tempus said. "If you'd like, you can call my by the nickname my sisters called me. It's Temp... for what reason they chose it, I have no idea."

Maybe because I wrote it and I had no ideas for a nickname.

"Oh, thanks a lot!" Tempus shouted at the sky, glaring.

"I like it," TD remarked, then noticed the setting sun. "Annnnd, there's the sunset. That means I got to get going. Twilight wanted to go on a date with me tonight, and I'm not about to disappoint her."

"Okay William," Tempus said, smiling. "I'll see you later."

The alicorn walked on, dropping his gaze as he began thinking once more about what he had learned. TD chuckled as he watched him go.

"Bye bye, Temp," he replied too softly to be heard, then in a flash of light he disappeared.

* * *

 **Well... this is unsettling... maybe.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! And thanks Darkstalker for the help!**


	50. Section II

I know that I didn't say Section I in my journal before this, Rainbow Dash. Deal with it, ya lazy ghost.

The Nameless One is dead, and Atlantia is no longer a threat to Existence. For the first time in 100 years, Equestria and the worlds my friends call "home" are safe again, and are able to enjoy an era of peace...

Peace. For them it may seem like that, but my friends and I would be fools to think of it that way. We know the truth: these two were merely a calm before the storm. Others will rise to take there place. Some are more cruel than they were, some are more cunning, and some simply refuse to give up and keep coming back; all of them share the goal of destroying anyone who gets in their way. So we keep watch on the horizon, knowing that the next battle may be coming any day now without warning.

If only we had the forces to combat them that we had in the past. Zachary, my son, and our beloved Diana have long since passed on, along with three of our Elements of Harmony. Magic, Kindness and Laughter remain; the latter will leave us one day as well, when she reaches the end of a Changeling Queen's lifespan in ten thousand years. Cadence and Shining are gone, replaced by their daughter Flurry Heart and her best friend-turned-lover, Bill Prower. Celestia was taken from us too during the Nameless One's invasion, her name and her deeds being preserved by her daughter Sunshine, who continues her mom's legacy and ensures that she is never forgotten. Plank hasn't been seen in a long time, but I know he is still out there somewhere, waiting for the right moment to appear again. And Tempest Shadow, one of our finest warriors and friends, has also gone to join those we lost, leaving behind only a legend and a granddaughter who lives the life of a non-combatant.

The future looks bleak and full of darkness, but we will not give up. We have lost many of our most finest, but they have been replaced with others. Our homes have been destroyed, but we will rebuild. And even if the enemy makes our cause seem hopeless, we will NOT surrender. We will fight to the bitter end, protecting our homes, protecting our families, protecting Existence.

And we are bound to this duty and resolve, in death as we are in life.


End file.
